E. Coli alert: Thousands of supermarket sandwiches, wraps and salads recalled by watchdog over food poisoning concerns
At least 30 different types of supermarket sandwiches, wraps and salads – possibly hundreds of thousands of items – have been recalled from shelves due to serious health concerns.
Food safety watchdogs have placed a ‘do not eat’ warning on products from Greencore, which produces 1.7 million sandwiches every day, making it the world’s largest manufacturer.
There are fears that some batches sold in seven different stores may be contaminated with E.coli.
These include Asda, Amazon, Boots, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Co-op and Aldi.
The bug – which can be fatal – usually causes fever, illness and diarrhea. The symptoms usually disappear naturally within a few days.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has issued the warning.
Food safety watchdogs have placed a ‘do not eat’ warning on products from Greencore, which produces 1.7 million sandwiches every day, making it the world’s largest manufacturer.
There are fears that some batches sold in seven different stores may be contaminated with E.coli. These include Asda, Amazon, Boots, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Co-op and Aldi
The FSA called the recall a ‘precautionary measure’.
BLT, chicken salad and brie and bacon sandwiches are among the affected products. Others include vegan ‘no duck and hoisin’ wraps and shrimp salads.
The warning affects all date codes through June 14, 15 and 16.
Point of sale notices, explaining to customers why the product is being recalled, will also be displayed in all stores selling the product, the FSA said.
It added: ‘If you have purchased any of the above products, do not eat it.
“Instead, return it to the store where it was purchased for a full refund.”
It comes as more than 200 Britons are now known to have been affected in recent weeks by Shiga toxin-producing E.coli (STEC), a rare strain of the diarrhoea-causing bug.
At least 67 people have been hospitalized.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said a total of 211 cases were recorded between May 25 and June 11.
Of these, 147 were in England, 27 in Wales and 35 in Scotland.
Only two cases have been recorded in Northern Ireland, although officials say this person is likely to have contracted the bug in England.
Victims include children as young as two years old, although the majority are young adults.
STEC is mainly spread by eating contaminated food, such as raw vegetables that have not been properly washed or stored, or through undercooked meat.
It can also be spread by touching infected animals or their feces, either directly or through contaminated water.
People can also pass the bug through direct content, such as caring for a sick child and then touching their face and mouth without properly washing their hands.
Among those hospitalized with serious symptoms was former golf course manager Christopher Holmes, 76.
He was admitted to Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital in Margate, Kent, with diarrhoea, vomiting and stomach cramps.
According to the UK Health Security Agency, symptoms of Shiga toxin-producing E.coli include severe diarrhea and vomiting
The 113 confirmed cases of E.coli are spread across Britain, leading officials to believe the disease was caused by a nationally distributed food product
Doctors were initially puzzled as to the cause of the symptoms, but tests later revealed that he had contracted the STEC E.coli and he was moved to an isolation room.
Daughter Lea, 54, from Deal, Kent, said: ‘It was horrible. We don’t know what causes it.
‘He doesn’t eat red meat or fish and is generally not a big eater. He is very hygienic and always cooks everything well.
“The only thing he thought it could be was salad. He ate a lot of salads before he got sick.
‘Over the past few days he has been eating jelly, ice cream and soups. It’s all been quite overwhelming for him.’
She added that doctors hope to discharge her father in the coming days, once the infection clears.
Food safety professor Nicola Holden said people should maintain good kitchen hygiene – and be especially careful when starting the barbecue during warm weather.
“It is a particularly nasty strain of E.coli and we have a high number of hospital admissions,” she told Radio 4’s Today programme.
‘What people can do is make sure they are very vigilant about washing their hands and follow the advice of food standards agencies on keeping their food safe and ensuring good hygiene in the kitchen.
‘We are approaching barbecue season. For example, people should ensure that those beef burgers are properly cooked and not raw on the inside.’