E.coli outbreak: All Tesco, Asda, Boots, Sainsbury’s items recalled

A third company recalled a product as a “precautionary measure” due to possible E. coli contamination. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) said the manufacturer THIS! has issued a recall notice to customers regarding the vegan chicken and bacon pack, which is only sold at WH Smith.

The agency said anyone who purchased the product at any time up to and including Tuesday, June 18, should not eat it and instead return it to the store for a full refund. It comes just days after manufacturers Greencore Group and Samworth Brothers Manton Wood recalled a range of sandwiches, wraps and salads sold in major UK supermarkets due to a potential link to an outbreak of E.coli which has left people in the UK Britain in hospital.

Products recalled by Greencore include sandwiches, wraps and salads sold at Sainsbury’s, Asda, Aldi, Morrisons, the Co-op and the pharmacy retail chain Boots. Samworth Brothers Manton Wood recalls various Tesco and One Stop sandwiches and wraps.

Darren Whitby, Head of Incidents at the Food Standards Agency, said: “Sandwich manufacturers are taking the precautionary measure of recalling various sandwich and salad packaging in response to findings from investigations by the Food Standards Agency (FSA), Food Standards Scotland ( FSS) and the UK Health Safety Agency (UKHSA) who are working to identify the cause of an ongoing outbreak of 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 food safety standards and we work closely with the Food Standards Agency and our suppliers to better understand the possible source of any potential problem.”

A Samworth Brothers Manton Wood spokesman said: “The Food Standards Agency has advised the supplier of a salad ingredient that we use in a small number of products that they should carry out a product recall and recall. In the meantime, food chain inquiries are being made, which have yet to come to any conclusions.

“A small number of sandwich and wrap lines which are manufactured at our Manton Wood site are being recalled as a precaution to ensure a high level of consumer health protection. No other Manton Wood products are affected.”

E. coli is a diverse group of bacteria that are normally harmless and live in the intestines of humans and animals. However, some strains, such as Stec, can make people very sick.