Co-op urgently recalls ready meal and issues ‘do not eat’ warning over health risk fears

CO-OP has issued an urgent 'do not eat' informing aft pulling a fashionable acceptable repast disconnected its shelves implicit fears it poses a "possible wellness risk".

The large supermarket concatenation said packs of its own-brand lasagne whitethorn incorporate ingredients not mentioned connected the label, putting shoppers astatine hazard of allergic reactions.

It recalled its Co-op Irresistible Luxury Lasagne Al Forno implicit fears it "may incorporate mustard and sulphites which are not declared connected the label", the Food Standards Agency (FSA) said successful a recent alert.

"This means the merchandise is simply a imaginable health hazard for anyone with an allergy to mustard oregon a sensitivity to sulphur dioxide oregon sulphites," the nutrient watchdog added.

Items with a 'use by' day of November 17 are affected by the recall.

It comes aft a fig of brands recalled products containing mustard implicit fears they galore beryllium contaminated with peanuts - putting seed allergy sufferers astatine hazard of unsafe reactions.

Co-op said it had contacted applicable allergy enactment organisations astir its lasagne recalled truthful that radical with allergies oregon sensitivities to mustard and sulphites could beryllium informed.

Aside from pulling the products from shelves, it urged radical to dispose of them.

Customers who've bought the luxury lasagnes affected by the callback are eligible for a refund oregon a replacement, taxable to availability astatine the store.

If you bought the merchandise online, you tin get a refund by calling 03300417737.

The FSA told customers: "If you person bought the supra merchandise and person an allergy to mustard and/or a sensitivity to sulphur dioxide and/or sulphites bash not devour it.

"Instead, dispose of the product."

Sulphites - including sulphur dioxide and sodium oregon potassium metabisulphite - are recovered people successful immoderate foods but are besides added to foods to sphere them oregon lighten their colour.

Common examples see processed meats, effect juice, jams, wine and beer.

Most radical who person reactions to sulphites person sensitivity reactions, according to Anaphylaxis UK.

Unlike an allergy, this benignant of absorption doesn't impact the immune strategy but it tin origin allergy-type symptoms affecting your breathing that whitethorn sometimes beryllium serious.

Symptoms of sulphite sensitivity reactions tin see wheezing, a choky thorax and coughing, arsenic good arsenic tummy symptom and rashes.

As for mustard allergies, these are thought to beryllium uncommon but they tin sometimes effect successful superior reactions, including life-threatening anaphylaxis.

In September, the FSA issued an urgent alert to allergy sufferers informing that mustard products could beryllium contaminated with peanuts.

As a result, a fig of products were pulled from shelves, including sandwiches, wraps, dips and spices.

The allergy alert is inactive successful place, with the nutrient watchdog saying it was continuing to enactment with nutrient businesses and section authorities to analyse the nutrient proviso concatenation for contaminated items.

The FSA said: "As a effect of extended and ongoing investigations, the nutrient business FGS Ingredients Limited who import mustard to manufacture spice products including curry powders, seasonings and spice blends from India, person undertaken a precautionary withdrawal and callback of each products containing mustard.

"These spices and blends are besides utilized successful products specified arsenic acceptable meals and snacks and we expect to contented a wide scope of recalls successful the coming days.

"Although the investigation continues, we tin corroborate it is lone these products supplied by FGS Ingredients Limited which person been affected and not each mustard imports from India.

"We proceed to counsel radical with a peanut allergy to debar eating immoderate nutrient containing mustard ingredients until each recalls person been issued and we volition supply an update connected this proposal erstwhile it changes."