Tesco issues urgent recall on popular chocolate bars over health fears as customers warned ‘don’t eat it’

Tesco is urging customers not to eat some popular chocolate bars sold in its stores due to health fears.

The supermarket is recalling 80g pack sizes of Happi Free From Oat Milk bars as they contain milk, which is not mentioned on the ingredients label. The error includes the Plain Milk, Salted Caramel and Plain White flavours.

The Food Standards Agency regulates food providers and said the products were a possible health risk for anyone with an allergy or intolerance to milk. The 80g pack sizes with a best before October 2023 are the bars that are affected.

What should I do if I’ve bought the product?

If you have bought the affected product, the Happi Free From company has warned customers not to eat the chocolate.

In a statement issued to customers, the company said: "If you have bought an affected product and have an allergy or intolerance to milk or milk constituents, please don’t eat it. Instead return it to a Tesco store for a refund. No receipt is required."

Meanwhile, advice on the Foods Standards Agency website reads: “If you have bought the above product and have an allergy or intolerance to milk or milk constituents do not eat it. Instead return it to the store from where it was bought for a full refund.”

Sometimes products are recalled or "withdrawn" from shop shelves if they pose a risk to customers in any way, and typically supermarkets tell customers to return products for a refund.

Which other products have recently been recalled?

Just a few days ago, Tesco, Aldi and Costa Coffee recalled several items that could be potentially unsafe for allergy sufferers. Customers who shopped at any of these shops were urged to check their products, as they could contain ingredients not listed on the labels.

The presence of eggs and nuts, such as walnuts, were among the unlisted ingredients that could pose a danger to people allergic to them. Other potentially unsafe contents in the items include mustard and sulphites. The Food Standards Agency published a list of the specific items, with seven in total being recalled.

In April, Tesco asked customers to return packets of biscuits that possibly contained pieces of metal. A month later the supermarket recalled chicken products and removed items from its menus due to food poisoning fears.

Other supermarkets and retailers have also tried to warn customers about dangerous products. German grocer Aldi issued an urgent recall of its Bramwells Tartare sauce, due to a packaging error. In August, Primark urged parents not to feed their children from a Disney-themed plate with lead and formaldehyde.