John West recalls tins of sardines over fears they’ve been contaminated with bacteria
JOHN West has recalled tins of sardines over fears that they have been contaminated with bacteria.
The household brand is pulling two batches of sardines in tomato sauce as a "precautionary measure".
The manufacturers found that the bacterial contamination made the tins swell in an "extremely small number of cans".
John West hasn't specified what bacteria has affected the food or whether it's harmful if consumed.
The fish specialists said that the potential risk to shoppers is "extremely low" and that it is recalling the cans as a precaution.
Affected tins have a batch code of KX319H or KX326H and have a best before date of June 2022.
Your product recall rights
PRODUCT recalls are an important means of protecting consumers from dangerous goods.
As a general rule, if a recall involves a branded product, the manufacturer would usually have lead responsibility for the recall action.
But it's often left up to supermarkets to notify customers when products could put them at risk.
If you are concerned about the safety of a product you own, always check the manufacturer’s website to see if a safety notice has been issued.
When it comes to appliances, rather than just food items, the onus is usually on you - the customer - to register the appliance with the manufacturer as if you don't there is no way of contacting you to tell you about a fault.
If you become aware that an item you own has been recalled or has any safety noticed issued against it, make sure you follow the instructions given to you by the manufacturer.
They should usually provide you with more information and a contact number on its safety notice.
In some cases, the manufacturer might ask you to return the item for a full refund or arrange for the faulty product to be collected.
You should not be charged for any recall work - such as a repair, replacement or collection of the recalled item.
You can find these details on one of the longer sides of the packaging, printed along the bottom edge.
The 120g tins that are being recalled were sold through Asda stores where they cost £1.
The tins are also available to buy from Tesco, Morrisons, Iceland and Sainsbury's but they are not affected by the recall.
Shoppers are being urged to check their cupboards at home to see if they have an affect tin at home.
If they do have one, they should be returned to the store that you bought it from in exchange for a full refund.
In a recall notice issued on its website, John West said: "We are undertaking extensive scientific testing to identify the cause of the possible contamination.
"We would like to stress that this recall is purely a precautionary measure and none of John West’s other products are affected.
"We apologise to all our consumers for any inconvenience or concern this causes."
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Other recalls to look out for include 10 flavours of baby food sold at Lidl as they may contain mould.
Iceland has also pulled its Chinese takeaway "banquet" ready meal over fears it could trigger allergies.
Co-op, Booths and Spar have also recalled food over safety fears.