Major supermarkets are recalling haggis and other Scottish products over food safety fears.
It is thought that the food may contain harmful bacteria, which has not been detected by the manufacturers.
Products being recalled
Lidl and Marks and Spencer both stock the brand in question. Haggis, black pudding, and white pudding are amongst the list of affected products.
Stores are offering a full refund, so if you do find any of these items in your freezer, be sure to hand them in. Simply throwing them away won’t make you eligible to get your money back. You are advised not to eat the products – even if you have already consumed some from the same package, simply turn the remaining items in.
The product list is as follows:
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Macsween of Edinburgh Delicious Every Day Haggis
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Macsween of Edinburgh In a Hurry Haggis
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Macsween of Edinburgh Haggis
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Macsween of Edinburgh Traditional Haggis
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Macsween of Edinburgh Delicious Every Day Haggis Gluten Free
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Macsween of Edinburgh Haggis Canapes
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Macsween of Edinburgh 3 Bird Haggis
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Macsween of Edinburgh In a Hurry Vegetarian Haggis
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Macsween of Edinburgh Delicious Every Day Vegetarian Haggis
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Macsween of Edinburgh Vegetarian Haggis
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Macsween of Edinburgh In a Hurry Black Pudding
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Macsween of Edinburgh Delicious Every Day Black Pudding
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Lidl Donald & Sons Scottish Haggis
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Lidl Donald & Sons Haggis Slice
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Lidl Donald & Sons Black Pudding
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Lidl Donald & Sons Black Pudding Slices
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Lidl Warren & Sons Sliced Black Pudding
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Marks & Spencer Scottish Haggis
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Marks & Spencer Scottish 2 Haggis Slices
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Marks & Spencer Black Pudding
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Marks & Spencer 4 Black Pudding Slices
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Marks & Spencer White Pudding
The affected products concern a certain use-by date range, up to and including the 18th August, so be sure to check in with your supermarket if you think you may be affected.
Recall notices will be displayed in both Lidl and Marks and Spencer stores, so you will be able to see the full details if you need them.
It’s clear that something has gone wrong in the food process – normally, the correct checks should be in place to both lower the chance of harmful bacteria or toxins appearing, and ensure that they do not sneak through.
Precautionary measure for bacteria
Macsween of Edinburgh Ltd, who also manufacture products for the food giants under their own brand names, are behind all of the products which are being recalled. There are fears that their procedures to help control Clostridium botulinum were not stringent enough.
Clostridium botulinum is a toxin which causes botulism, a serious type of food poisoning. It can result in death if left untreated. Typically, symptoms will begin to appear between 18 to 36 hours after ingesting the toxin.
Those symptoms include double vision, vomiting and nausea, abdominal cramps, slurred speech, muscle weakness, and difficulty in swallowing.
No other products from the same brand have been affected, as it appears the products in question are all manufactured on the same line. There may be a health and safety food job coming up at the factory soon, as it is clear that some vital checks have been left out of their procedures.
The Food Standards Agency reported that they had visited the manufacturer, who was not able to demonstrate the correct manufacturing controls.
They are now advising anyone who has bought the affected products to refrain from eating it, as there is no way to know whether it contains the bacteria or not. They are describing the recall as a precautionary measure and if you have already eaten one of the products but displayed no symptoms, you should not be alarmed.
