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Vegan food firm backed by Nigella Lawson ordered to recall 'dairy free' yoghurt that actually contains milk

Nigella Lawson writes of her love of CO YO on Instagram - Instagram
Nigella Lawson writes of her love of CO YO on Instagram - Instagram

A company selling vegan coconut yoghurt endorsed by Nigella Lawson and Ella Woodward has had to withdraw its products from sale after they were found to contain traces of dairy.

CO YO, which was set up by a "mumtrepreneur" police officer while she was on maternity leave, has had to withdraw all its flavours of dairy free coconut milk yoghurt - because it actually contains "undeclared" milk.

The yoghurt is enjoyed as a dairy-free alternative by vegans across the country, and has a star-studded list of fans.

The brand boasts on its website of having  "a large celebrity fan base including Fearne Cotton, Boy George, Nigella Lawson, who features CO YO in her book, Simply Nigella, and prominent food blogger Ella Woodward, who has developed recipes using the products."

However, a warning has been  put out by the Food Standards Agency telling consumers to return the product to shops as consuming it is a risk for those with dairy allergies.

CO YO said it was "devastated" that its yoghurt contains dairy.

In a statement, the company said: "During recent product testing, a small amount of dairy has been found in our CO YO yoghurts.

"We are devastated by this, especially as being dairy-free sits at the heart of everything we do and we’ve always taken great care to ensure we provide our customers with high-quality, dairy-free products, made in our own dairy-free factory. "

The company blamed the contaminated ingredients on an external third-party supplier.

It said: "We have also terminated our relationship with the third-party supplier to ensure that this never happens again. "

It also confirmed it is working with the Food Standards Agency and local government organisations "to make sure any potentially non-dairy material is removed from shop shelves."

The Food Standards Agency has warned customers to return their Co Yo to shops - Credit: Co Yo
The Food Standards Agency has warned customers to return their Co Yo to shops Credit: Co Yo

The company advised: "If you have any COYO product with a Use By date earlier than and including Friday 16th March, please contact the store you purchased from for a full refund. If you have any concerns about any of our products please don’t hesitate to contact us. Once again, we would like to apologise to all our customers for any concern this may have caused."

A spokesman for the Food Standards Agency said: "These products contain milk making them a possible health risk for anyone with an allergy or intolerance to milk or milk constituents.

"CO YO is recalling the above products from customers and has contacted the relevant allergy support organisations, which will tell their members about the recall.

"The company has also issued a point-of-sale notice to its customers. These notices explain to customers why the products are being recalled and tell them what to do if they have bought the products.

"If you have bought any of the above products and have an allergy or intolerance to milk or milk constituents do not eat it. Instead return it to the store from where it was bought for a full refund."