Shoppers issued 'do not eat' warning for 45 supermarket items over E. coli fears
Dozens of ready-to-eat products are being pulled from supermarket shelves as health officials continue work to identify the cause of an ongoing E. coli outbreak.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has issued a recall alert for a total of 45 sandwich, wrap and salad items from Greencore Group because of possible contamination with the harmful bacteria. The list includes popular products sold at major supermarkets and retailers, including Asda, Sainsbury's, Morrisons, Aldi, the Co-op, Boots and Amazon.
The FSA confirmed that E.coli has not been detected in the recalled products, but that they are being recalled as a precautionary measure. Anyone who has purchased them is urged not to eat them, and instead return them to the store from where they were bought to receive a full refund.
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Earlier this month, health officials confirmed that at least 37 people had been admitted to hospital following a UK-wide E. coli outbreak, which it believed to be linked to food. At the time, the agency said it believed the outbreak, which mostly affected young adults with 211 associated cases as of June 11, was linked to a nationally distributed food item or multiple food items.
Darren Whitby, head of incidents at the Food Standards Agency, said: "Sandwich manufacturers are taking a precautionary measure to recall various sandwiches wraps and salads in response to findings from investigations by the Food Standards Agency (FSA), Food Standards Scotland (FSS) and UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), who are working to identify the cause of an ongoing outbreak caused by shiga toxin-producing E.coli (Stec)."
Greencore Group said in a statement: "As a precautionary measure, we have voluntarily recalled a number of sandwiches and wraps due to a potential food safety risk. Greencore adheres to the highest standards of food safety, and we are working closely with the Food Standards Agency and our suppliers to better understand the possible source of any potential issue."
Full list of recalled products
Aldi
Aldi Chicken Fajita Triple Wrap - Use-by dates up to and including June 16
Amazon
Amazon BLT Sandwich - Use-by dates up to and including June 16
Amazon Chicken Salad Sandwich - Use-by dates up to and including June 16
Amazon Ploughman’s Sandwich - Use-by dates up to and including June 16
Amazon Prawn Layered Salad - Use-by dates up to and including June 16
Amazon Chicken & Bacon Layered Salad - Use-by dates up to and including June 16
Asda
Asda Vegan No Chicken Caesar Wrap - Use-by dates up to and including June 15
Asda Tuna Crunch Sub Roll - Use-by dates up to and including June 15
Asda Southern Fried Chicken Wrap - Use-by dates up to and including June 15
Asda Southern Fried Chicken Triple Wrap - Use-by dates up to and including June 15
Asda Smoky Beans and Cheddar Cheese Wrap - Use-by dates up to and including June 15
Asda Chicken Salad (Sandwich) - Use-by dates up to and including June 15
Asda Chicken and Bacon Club (Sandwich) - Use-by dates up to and including June 15
Asda Brie, Bacon and Chilli Chutney (Sandwich) - Use-by dates up to and including June 15
Asda BLT (Sandwich) - Use-by dates up to and including June 16
Boots
Boots BBQ Chicken wrap - Use-by dates up to and including June 16
Boots BLT (Sandwich) - Use-by dates up to and including June 16
Boots Cheddar Cheese Ploughman's (Sandwich) - Use-by dates up to and including June 16
Boots Chicken and Bacon Caesar Wrap - Use-by dates up to and including June 16
Boots Chicken Salad (Sandwich) - Use-by dates up to and including June 16
Boots Chicken Triple (Sandwich) - Use-by dates up to and including June 16
Boots Delicious Ham and Cheese Ploughman's (Sandwich) - Use-by dates up to and including June 16
Boots Halloumi and Greek Style Salad wrap - Use-by dates up to and including June 16
Boots Ham and Egg Club (Sandwich) - Use-by dates up to and including June 16
Boots Mixed Triple (Sandwich) - Use-by dates up to and including June 16
Boots Southern Fried Chicken Wrap - Use-by dates up to and including June 16
Boots Spicy Bean and Cheese Wrap - Use-by dates up to and including June 16
Boots Vegan No Chicken Salad (Sandwich) - Use-by dates up to and including June 16
Boots Vegan No Duck and Hoisin Wrap - Use-by dates up to and including June 16
Boots Veggie Triple (Sandwich) - Use-by dates up to and including June 16
Co-op
Co-op Vegan Gro Onion Bhaji (Sandwich) - Use-by dates up to and including June 16
Co-op Mexican Style Bean and Cheese Wrap - Use-by dates up to and including June 16
Co-op Ham, Cheese and Pickle (Sandwich) - Use-by dates up to and including June 16
Co-op Ham and Cheese Wrap - Use-by dates up to and including June 16
Co-op Chicken and Bacon Caesar Wrap - Use-by dates up to and including June 17
Co-op Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato (Sandwich) - Use-by dates up to and including June 16
Morrisons
Morrisons Chicken Salad (Sandwich) - Use-by dates up to and including June 16
Morrisons Chicken Salad PFS (Sandwich) - Use-by dates up to and including June 16
Morrisons Gluten Free Chicken Salad (Sandwich) Use-by dates up to and including June 16
Morrisons Gluten Free Sandwich Platter - Use-by dates up to and including June 16
Sainsbury's
Sainsbury’s Peri Peri Chicken Wrap - Use-by dates up to and including June 16
Sainsbury’s BBQ Pulled Pork and Red Leicester (Sandwich) - Use-by dates up to and including June 16
Sainsbury’s Chicken, Bacon and Avocado Focaccia (Sandwich) - Use-by dates up to and including June 16
Sainsbury’s Greek Style Wrap - Use-by dates up to and including June 16
Sainsbury’s Jerk Halloumi Wrap - Use-by dates up to and including June 16
E. coli symptoms
As many of these sandwiches, wraps and salads are items that shoppers might pick up on the go and eat that same day, you may recognise that you have already eaten one of the products listed above. If this is the case, keep an eye out for the symptoms of food poisoning, which are listed by the NHS as follows:
Feeling sick (nausea)
Diarrhoea
Being sick (vomiting)
Stomach cramps
A high temperature of 38C or above
Feeling generally unwell – such as feeling tired or having aches and chills.
Food poisoning can be caused by a range of bacteria, including E. coli, and symptoms usually start within a few days of eating the food that caused the infection. It is rarely serious and usually gets better within a week, the NHS advises, and it can usually be treated at home with lots of fluids to avoid dehydration.
NHS Inform advises requesting an urgent GP appointment for seeking help from 111 if you or your child have bloody diarrhoea. In addition, the health service says you should speak to your GP if you or your child has diarrhoea and:
It's particularly frequent or severe
It lasts for more than 7 days
A severe or continuous stomach ache
Weight loss
Have passed a large amount of very watery diarrhoea
Have signs of dehydration – including drowsiness, peeing less than usual, and feeling lightheaded or dizzy.