Urgent recall issued for two items sold at Morrisons, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Tesco

The Food Standards Agency has issued an urgent Salmonella recall for apple and kiwi fruit pots sold in major UK supermarkets including Tesco, ASDA, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, M&S and Waitrose

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An urgent recall has been issued for apples and kiwi fruit sold in supermarkets across Britain after concerns they may be contaminated with Salmonella.

The alert was issued on Tuesday by the Food Standards Agency (FSA), which said fruit supplier PrepWorld had recalled several pre-packaged fruit items from major supermarkets following testing that detected Salmonella in apples and kiwi used in the products.

The affected items include ready-to-eat fruit pots and snack packs sold in ASDA, Morrisons, M&S, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose.

All products involved carry best-before or use-by dates of 23 or 24 June.

At ASDA, the only product affected is a 220g Pink Lady Apple, Mango, Strawberry & Blueberry fruit pot priced at £2.75, reports the Express.

Morrisons has pulled a single product — a 220g Kiwi, Melon & Strawberries pack priced at £2.50 with a use-by date of 24 June.

Tesco has the greatest number of affected items, with four products withdrawn from shelves. These include its 250g Melon, Kiwi & Strawberry pots (use-by 24 June, £2.50), 100g Kiwi Fruit Pot (£1.50), 290g Fruit Kebabs containing kiwi, watermelon, mango and pineapple chunks (£4.10), and 125g Melon, Kiwi & Strawberry packs (£1.50).

Sainsbury’s and M&S both have three recalled products apiece.

At Sainsbury’s, affected items include 220g Melon, Kiwi & Strawberry pots, Orange & Kiwi 240g packs, and Pink Lady Apple & Grape 240g packs, all with a use-by date of 23 June, according to the Daily Mail. M&S has recalled three apple-based products: 90g Café Pink Lady Apple slices, 90g (FTG) Pink Lady Apple packs, and 225g Pink Lady Apple Slices, all with a use-by date of 24 June.

Waitrose has also pulled its 115g Pink Lady Apple and Grapes packs from shelves, which carry a best-before date of 23 June.

In its statement, the FSA said: “Prepworld is recalling the above products. Point of sale notices will be displayed in all retail stores that are selling these products.

“These notices explain to customers why the products are being recalled and tell them what to do if they have bought the products. Please see the attached notices.”

Salmonella ranks amongst the leading causes of food poisoning across the globe and can trigger symptoms including fever, diarrhoea and stomach cramps.

While it is most commonly associated with raw or undercooked meat, poultry and eggs, fresh fruit and vegetables can also be a source of contamination.

According to FSA guidance, young children, those aged 65 and over, and individuals with weakened immune systems face a greater risk of becoming seriously ill.

The NHS states that symptoms typically begin within hours or days of consuming contaminated food, though in some cases they can take weeks to emerge.

It advises sufferers to drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration, alongside rest, paracetamol, and eating when able.

The FSA has urged consumers who have purchased the affected products not to consume them. Instead, customers are urged to take them back to the store where they were purchased in order to receive a full refund.

The recall comes just twelve months after a comparable warning was issued regarding Salmonella fears in a savoury snack sold by Lidl.

The supermarket withdrew its Sol & Mar Chicharricos BBQ Pork Scratchings from sale after potential contamination was identified.

The FSA cautioned at the time that the affected batches could trigger severe gastrointestinal symptoms, and shoppers were advised to return them for a full refund with no receipt required.