Food poisoning bugs force recalls

Supermarket giant Tesco recalled two of its chicken salad products, after they were found to be contaminated with campylobacter.

The recall applied to 160g packs of Tesco Chicken Salad and 315g packs of Tesco Chicken, Broccoli, Almond & Cashew Nut Salad. All affected products had use-by dates of July 12 and July 13 2017.

In its recall statement, Tesco said: “We have been made aware by our supplier that they have detected campylobacter in a small number of products. ​

“Tesco is recalling the affected products as a precaution. Tesco apologises to our customers for any inconvenience caused.”​

‘As a precaution’​

Consumers who have purchased the products were advised not to eat them and instead return them to the store they were bought from to receive a full refund.

A number of products manufactured by Macsween of Edinburgh have been recalled, after concerns were raised over the company’s procedures in place to control the bacteria Clostridium botulinum​. The products were sold in Lidl and M&S stores across the UK.

The manufacturer could not demonstrate manufacturing controls that prevented the growth of the bacteria, said the Food Standards Agency. Botulinum toxin may cause a serious form of food poisoning called botulism and can be fatal.

According to Macsween, no traces of the bacteria have been found in any of the products and the recall was a precautionary measure.

No traces of the bacteria​

Included in the recall were a number of haggis products, black pudding and white pudding. A full list of the products recalled can be found below.

Lidl and M&S both issued statements advising consumers who have bought any of the affected products not to eat them and instead return to the stores the products were bought from for a full refund.

Meanwhile, undeclared allergens forced a recall of Doritos Chilli Heatwave Crisps last week, after they were found to contain milk not mentioned on the label.

The recall applied to 90g and 150g packs of the products with the best before date of October 7 2017.

Commenting on the recall, manufacturing software firm Epicor Software’s product manager Duncan Moir said: “Such recalls hit an organisation hard both in terms of reputational damage and cost. This recent incident highlights the fact that food manufacturers need to be doing more to ensure that they adhere to labelling regulations.”​