Tesco and Sainsbury's urgent recall of tinned pasta over choking risk
Tesco and Sainsbury's have issued an urgent recall for several of their tinned pasta products.
The tins of own-brand beef ravioli and macaroni cheese have been ruled a health risk, after the discovery that they may contain pieces of rubber.
The products were all manufactured by Noliko NV in Belgium.
Customers are being told not to eat the pasta, and to return the tins to the store for a refund - the receipt isn't necessary.
"As a precautionary measure Sainsbury's and Tesco are recalling the affected products and point-of-sale recall notices will be displayed in stores where the products are sold," the Food Standards Agency (FSA) explains.
Last year, the FSA investigated and dealt with 1,514 cases of food, animal feed and environmental contamination in the UK. The biggest number - contamination with pathogenic micro-organisms - amounted to 18% of the total, with another 14% accounted for by the presence of allergens that weren't declared on the label.
Comparatively few food recalls- just 5% - are caused by the presence of foreign objects such as the rubber pieces in this case. The number's remaining fairly steady from year to year, implying that little more can be done to improve things.
However, in one major case in May last year, Sainsbury's and Waitrose were forced to recall dozens of ready meals after small pieces of metal were found in them. All the products contained potatoes, which became contaminated when a piece of processing equipment broke into shards.
Tesco and Sainsbury's recall: affected products
Product: by Sainsbury's Beef Ravioli in Tomato Sauce
Product code: 121811
Pack size: 400g
'Best before' end: January 2019
Product: by Sainsbury's Macaroni Cheese
Product code: 125901
Pack size: 410g
'Best before' end: January 2019
Product: Tesco Beef Ravioli
Product batch codes: LB3048 81724C, LB3049 81724C
Pack size: 400g
'Best before' end: December 2018
Product: Tesco Everyday Value Beef Ravioli
Product batch code: LA146 84824C
Pack size: 400g
'Best before' end: April 2019
