Mrs Kirkham's recall: Cheeses recalled after E. coli concerns - how you can claim refund

Customers have been urged to check their Christmas hamper after a popular cheese range was recalled over a potential E. coli risk. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) "precautionarily" recalled items produced by Mrs Kirkham's on Sunday (December 24).

The varieties impacted are the company's Creamy Lancashire, Tasty Lancashire, Mature Lancashire and Smoked Lancashire brands. The agency said: "The cheeses are sometimes sold as a full block or served as individual portions, it may have been provided as part of a hamper you've purchased or been gifted. In some cases it’s been sold as part of a charcutier grazing platter.

"It may not always be clear whether you have purchased an affected product. If in doubt, consumers are advised to contact the retailer they bought their cheese from to find out if the cheese they have purchased is from the businesses and batches affected and, in the meantime, to not eat the product and ensure it is stored safely, fully wrapped and not in contact with other foods."

The FSA continued: "The products listed above might be contaminated with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, (STEC). 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."

Customers who have purchased the product should ensure it is fully wrapped and not in contact with other foods, the FSA said. The agency continued: "Wash your hands, equipment, utensils and surfaces that may have come into contact with the product thoroughly."

Any product on the recall list can be returned to where it was bought from for a full refund. The company's website lists Waitrose and Booths as stockists of its products, including a number of smaller outlets.

Point of sale notices, which explain to customers why the products are being recalled, will be displayed where the products were sold.