As the festive season has us reaching for our favourite Yuletide snacks, it's critical to take heed as Tesco and Aldi, among other leading supermarkets, have urgently recalled an assortment of Christmas treats due to safety concerns. These products might be "unsafe" because of issues such as mislabelling or the possible inclusion of foreign objects.
Under the directives of the Food Standards Agency (FSA), products may need to be pulled from the shelves for a variety of reasons like undisclosed allergens or finding of non-food materials within them. In the event of a recall, the FSA provides advice on what purchasers should do and clarifies why the items are being removed from sale.
Generally, customers can get a refund easily, with stores often not requiring a receipt.
The following list includes some of the items that you might need to return:.
Dunnes Stores has announced a recall on a range of cheeses and cheese-containing items owing to potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. According to the FSA, these products are made by or contain ingredients sourced from Wicklow Farmhouse Cheese in Ireland and are available in Northern Ireland via Dunnes Stores, reports Lancs Live.
Here are the product details for review:
Dunnes Stores Wicklow Smoked Cheddar
Pack size: 150g.
Best before: All dates.
Dunnes Stores Wicklow Tomato and Herb Cheddar
Pack size: 150g.
Best before: All dates.
Dunnes Stores Wicklow Nettle and Chive Cheddar
Pack size: 150g.
Best before: All dates.
Dunnes Stores Wicklow Blue Brie
Pack size: 150g.
Best before: All dates.
Simply Better Irish Brie Cheese and Cranberry Quiche
Pack size: 800g
Best before: All dates
Simply Better Wicklow Ban in Ceramic Dish
Pack size: 150g
Best before: All dates
Simply Better Double Cream Wicklow Ban
Pack size: 150g
Best before: All dates
Simply Better Farmhouse Irish Cheese Selection
Pack size: 735g
Best before: All dates
Simply Better & Neven Maguire Cheese Selection
Pack size: 705g
Best before: All dates
The FSA said: "The possible presence of Listeria monocytogenes in the products listed above. Symptoms caused by this organism can be similar to flu and include high temperature, muscle ache or pain, chills, feeling or being sick and diarrhoea.
"However, in rare cases, the infection can be more severe, causing serious complications, such as meningitis. Some people are more vulnerable to listeria infections, including those over 65 years of age, pregnant women and their unborn babies, babies less than one month old and people with weakened immune systems.
"If you have bought the above products do not eat them. Instead, return them to the store from where they were bought for a full refund."
Slices of beef
Additionally, Tesco is conducting its own recall due to a labelling error on its cooked beef slices which presents an incorrect use-by date that may render the product unsafe to consume. The specific details for this item are:
Tesco 10 Cooked Beef Slices with a pack size of 125g and an incorrect use-by date marked as 24 January 2025.
The FSA warned: "If you have bought the above product do not eat it. Instead, return it to the Tesco store for a full refund. For further information, please contact customer service team on 0800 505 555."
Red Cabbage and Apple
Customers should be on the alert as Tesco continues its recall of the Tesco Red Cabbage and Apple 300G, a staple in many Christmas dinners, due to incorrect labelling that could render the product unsafe. This recall specifically affects items with a use-by date of December 29, which ought to have been marked December 11.
The FSA explained: "An extension of the Use by Date could pose a risk to health, if the product is kept past the correct shelf life of the product.
"If you have bought the above product, please do not eat it. Instead return it to any Tesco store for a full refund (no receipt required) or contact the Tesco Customer Service on 0800 505 555."
Crushed Garlic
In a similar vein, those who have added Morrisons Crushed Garlic in their recipes might need to reconsider, as Morrisons has issued a recall for its Crushed Garlic 75g with the best before date of 19.10. 25.
An essential ingredient for preventing microbiological growth was left out, posing a risk to anyone who consumes the product. The supermarket chain has offered apologies for any inconvenience and emphasised its commitment to the highest standards of safety and quality.
Affected customers are advised not to consume the product and return it to their nearest store for a full refund, with no receipt necessary. For assistance, they can reach out to Morrisons customer service on 0345 611 6111.
Bao Buns
Aldi's Let's Party Vegetable Bao Buns are being urgently recalled due to an undeclared allergen (sesame), as well as duck meat not listed on the packaging. This could pose a health risk to anyone with a sesame allergy.
Aldi has contacted the relevant allergy support organisations, who will inform their members about the recall. The supermarket has also removed these products from sale in all stores and is asking customers to return the items for a full refund.
Aldi's customer care line is 0800 042 0800.
ZOE's Daily 30+ 7 Day
If you've decided to boost your immune system this winter, you may have bought ZOE's Daily 30+ 7 Day, a product from the popular wellness brand. Waitrose has urgently recalled this product "because it may contain small stones and small pieces of metal," as confirmed in an alert by the Food Standards Agency (FSA).
The food watchdog has deemed this product unfit for consumption, reports The Express.