Urgent ‘do not eat’ warning over popular cooking sauce sold in Tesco, Asda and Waitrose

An urgent ‘do not eat’ warning has been issued for a popular cooking sauce sold in Tesco, Asda and Waitrose.

Sharwood’s Balti Cooking Sauce is being recalled because it contains milk that is not listed on the label.

Watchdogs at the Food Standards Agency, which issued the warning, said: ‘This means the product poses a potential health risk to anyone with an allergy or intolerance to milk.’

The sauce, sold for £2.99, is described as a rich tomato-based curry infused with spices and herbs.

It is also available at Sainsbury’s, Ocado and Morrison’s.

The recall only applies to the sauce with an expiration date of January 31, 2025 and a weight of 420 grams.

“If you have purchased the above product and are allergic or intolerant to milk or milk ingredients, do not eat it,” the FSA said.

Customers who purchased the issue can get a full refund.

The FSA recalls food when customers are asked to return a product, when problems are noticed with food, meaning it should not be sold.

People who cannot consume milk are allergic to the proteins in cow’s milk or they cannot digest the sugar in the product, known as lactose intolerance.

Milk allergy symptoms can range from a rash, itching, and swelling of the skin to vomiting, stomach cramps, and diarrhea that begins within minutes of eating or drinking dairy products.

However, those suffering from delayed cow’s milk allergy may not have symptoms until two days after exposure.

In severe cases, it can cause anaphylaxis – a severe, life-threatening reaction when swelling in the throat can block the airways.

A milk allergy can be diagnosed by a person’s immediate reaction to milk, as well as skin, blood, and breath tests.

About three in 100 babies have a cow’s milk allergy, but most outgrow it during childhood.

Older children and adults who are allergic to cow’s milk often have a more severe allergy.