Urgent recall and ‘do not eat’ warning for popular £1.75 spread that could contain ‘blue dust’

Waitrose is recalling packets of its own brand butter amid fears they contain bits of blue dust.

The supermarket has told customers not to eat its Essential Waitrose & Partners Salted Dairy Butter.

Batches of butter sold in 500 gram blocks with a best before date of June 19, 2024 are included in the recall.

There are no consequences for other batches of butter.

Customers are being told not to ‘consume’ the butter, which retails for £1.75, but instead ‘package’ the item and return it to your local Waitrose for a refund (stock image)

Officials from the Food Standards Agency (FSA), which published the warning, warned that the products are ‘unsafe to eat’.

“The possible presence of blue dust makes the product unsafe to eat,” the FSA adds.

Waitrose has also sent a sales notice to its customers explaining why the products are being recalled and what to do if they have purchased the products.

Customers are being told not to ‘consume’ the butter, which retails for £1.75, but to ‘pack’ the item and return it to your local Waitrose for a refund.

The supermarket said: ‘We apologize that it has been necessary to recall this product and for any inconvenience this has caused.’

The FSA carries out food recalls – asking customers to return a product – when issues are spotted that mean a product should not be sold.

Pieces of blue dust in food can cause injury or pose a choking hazard to both children and adults.

Asphyxiation occurs when the airway suddenly becomes partially or completely blocked, but sufficiently so that breathing is prevented.

If an adult’s airways are blocked, they may be able to clear the blockage themselves.

However, if coughing doesn’t solve the problem, back blows and abdominal thrusts can help. If these do not work you should call 999 immediately.

The NHS warns that you should not give abdominal thrusts to babies under one year old or to pregnant women.