Christmas dinner product recalls including Tesco and Dunnes - FSA issues 'do not eat' warning

Christmas day is just around the corner and with it a day of eating, perhaps, more than we should. But there are a few products, if eaten, which could put a dampener on the day.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has issued a number of alerts for items which, if featured in lunches and buffets on the big day could cause unset tummies or worse. Products the FSA have highlighted for recall include red cabbage, cooked meat and a variety of cheeses.

Explaining what happens when products are recalled, a spokesperson for the FSA said: “

If there is a problem with a food product that means it should not be sold, then it might be 'withdrawn' - taken off the shelves - or 'recalled' - when customers are asked to return the product.

The FSA issues Product Withdrawal Information Notices and Product Recall Information Notices to let consumers and local authorities know about problems associated with food. In some cases, a 'Food Alert for Action' is issued. This provides local authorities with details of specific action to be taken on behalf of consumers.

Christmas products recalls

Wicklow Farmhouse Cheese is recalling cheese products because of possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. According to the FSA, symptoms caused by this organism can be similar to flu and include high temperature, muscle ache or pain, chills, feeling or being sick and diarrhoea. However, in rare cases, the infection can be more severe, causing serious complications, such as meningitis.

Some people are more vulnerable to listeria infections, including those over 65 years of age, pregnant women and their unborn babies, babies less than one month old and people with weakened immune systems.

Point of sale notices will be displayed in the retail stores selling the products, explaining to customers why the products are being recalled and telling them what to do if they have bought the products. The specific products being recalled are:

• Ballykilty Baking Brie - 150g
• St Killian Cheese 150g
• Baking St Killian Cheese - 150g
• Wicklow Ban - 150g
• Wicklow Blue Brie - 150g
• St Killians - 150g
• Wicklow Farmhouse Cheddar Wedge - 150g
• Wicklow Gold Tomato & Herb - 150g
• Drunken Saint - 150g

Dunnes Stores are also recalling several cheeses and products manufactured by or containing ingredients from Wicklow Farmhouse Cheese in the Republic of Ireland, because of possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. The products under recall are:

• Dunnes Stores Wicklow Smoked Cheddar - 150g
• Dunnes Stores Wicklow Tomato & Herb Cheddar - 150g
• Dunnes Stores Wicklow Nettle & Chive Cheddar - 150g
• Dunnes Stores Wicklow Blue Brie - 150g
• Simply Better Irish Brie Cheese & Cranberry Quiche - 800g
• Simply Better Wicklow Ban in Ceramic Dish - 150g
• Simply Better Double Cream Wicklow Ban - 150g
• Simply Better Farmhouse Irish Cheese Selection - 735g
• Simply Better & Neven Maguire Cheese Selection - 705g

Tesco is recalling its Tesco 10 Cooked Beef Slices because of a labelling error which shows an incorrect use-by date, making the product unsafe to eat. The product has been labelled with an incorrect ‘use-by’ which makes it unsafe to eat after the correct ‘use-by’ date of December 24, 2024.

If you have bought the above product do not eat it, instead, return it to any Tesco store for a full refund. For further information, contact the customer service team on 0800 505 555. The details of the recalled beef are:

• Tesco 10 Cooked Beef Slices - 125g - Use by date: January 24, 2025

And another Tesco product that could find its way into your Christmas spread is the Tesco Red Cabbage & Apple. The product is being recalled as it also has an incorrect ‘use by’ date - stating December 29 instead of December 11.

The FSA say an extension of the use by date could pose a risk to health, if the product is kept past the correct shelf life of the product. The packs being recalled are:

• Tesco Red Cabbage & Apple - 300g - Use by date: December 29

Again, if you have bought the above product, do not eat it and instead return it to any Tesco store for a full refund - no receipt required - or contact the Tesco Customer Service on 0800 505 555.