Sainsbury's recalls crisps after health alert

A warning has been issued by Sainsbury's regarding their Taste the Difference Sea Salt and Suffolk Cider Vinegar Hand Cooked Crisps due to possible milk contamination.

Given that the crisps may provide a risk to anyone who are allergic to or intolerant to milk or any of its ingredients, the Food Standards Agency has issued a warning and a recall notice.

In addition to issuing the recall, Sainsbury's has posted notices near the tills in its stores. It states that anyone who has purchased the crisps but decides they don't want them can return them for a refund, receipt or not, to any Sainsbury's location.

(Sainsbury's)

A statement published by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) read: "Sainsbury’s is recalling Taste the Difference Sea Salt and Suffolk Cider Vinegar Hand Cooked Crisps because they may contain milk, which is not mentioned on the label.

"This means the product is a possible health risk for anyone with an allergy or intolerance to milk or milk constituents."

For people who are intolerant to cow's milk or have a severe allergy, the allergy warning is crucial.Allergy UK states that severe cow's milk allergies can result in anaphylaxis, a potentially fatal allergic reaction that needs to be treated right away.

The £1.50 item is refundable with or without a receipt in Sainsbury's stores, and the impacted batches of the crisps have since been taken off store shelves.

As per the FSA, alerts regarding allergies are not unusual. It clarified that food products can occasionally have issues, in which case they shouldn't be distributed.In this instance, the product might be "recalled" – when consumers are asked to return it – or "withdrawn", meaning it would be removed from the shelves.

Food products that have been determined to be contaminated with microorganisms that could result in food poisoning or those containing plastic or metal as a result of production errors must be recalled. Food products that have inaccurate or missing allergy information must also be recalled.

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