WH Smith’s supplier, THIS!, has recalled their plant-based chicken and bacon wrap due to fears of possible contamination with the E. coli bacteria. According to the Food Standards Agency (FSA) this is a “precautionary step” and it should be noted that E. coli “has not been detected in the product”. This recall follows in the wake of Greencore Group and Samworth Brothers Manton Wood announcing recalls of at least 60 types of pre-packed sandwiches, wraps and salads sold in major supermarkets; these specific items contained salad leaves. Over 200 people in the UK are believed to have been affected by E. coli in recent weeks, with 42% having to be admitted to hospital based on data up to 11 June.
The FSA has requested that anyone who has purchased THIS!’s wrap with a use by date up to and including 18 June should return it to the store for a refund and not consume it. Specialists have suggested that the ongoing outbreak of E. coli is linked to widely available food products, such as fresh produce – however, they have not yet identified any specific items.
Greencore Group alone has recalled 45 different products that were sold at Sainsbury’s, Asda, Aldi, Morrisons, Co-op and Boots. Meanwhile, Samworth Brothers Manton Wood has recalled 15 products that were sold at Tesco and One Stop. Dr. Sarah Pitt, a microbiologist at the University of Brighton, commented that it appears people had eaten the contaminated foods during school half-term at the end of May or during the weeks surrounding it. She added, however, that tracing the source of the bacteria was often extremely difficult because those affected usually did not present to hospital until two weeks after eating the food.
There are a number of precautions that can be taken to avoid infection, including washing salad leaves, fruit and vegetables even if they are a pre-washed variety. The illness can have much more serious consequences, particularly in the elderly, young children and people with underlying conditions in their immune system.
Darren Whitby, head of incidents at the Food Standards Agency, stated: “Sandwich manufacturers are taking a precautionary measure to recall various sandwiches, wraps and salads in response to findings from investigations by the Food Standards Agency (FSA), Food Standards Scotland (FSS) and UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), who are working to identify the cause of an ongoing outbreak caused by shiga toxin-producing E.coli (Stec).”
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