Tesco Ireland on Monday ordered the recall of some of its butter products over concerns that they are contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, a bug that could make people ill.
On a notice posted on Food Safety Authority of Ireland's (FSAI) website, the supermarket giant said it is withdrawing all the batches of its Roast Garlic & Herb Butter Product, as well as two varieties of its flavored butter discs as a "precautionary measure."
"We have been made aware that some Tesco butters may potentially have low levels of Listeria monocytogenes present," a spokesperson for Tesco said.
The supermarket's brand butters are sold in 100g packs. Its 10g complimentary discs are given out at the fish and meat counters.
If the products indeed contained Listeria, it can cause food poisoning. Children, pregnant women, anyone whose immune system is reduced, newborn and unborn babies, and people aged 60 and above are most at risk of contracting the infection.
The following 100g packs of Tesco butters are being withdrawn:
- Roast Garlic & Herb Butter
- Three Peppercorn Butter
- Red Chilli & Lemon Butter
- Chocolate Chip & Maple Syrup Butter
Tesco advises customers to discard the following 10g complimentary butter discs:
- Counters Peppercorn Butter Discs
- Counters Chilli Butter Discs
- Counters Roast Garlic & Herb Butter Discs
A spokesperson from the FSAI said that customers who return products to stores will be given a full refund, and no receipt is needed. No other products from Tesco are reportedly affected.
"Tesco apologizes to our customers for any inconvenience caused," Tesco said in a statement.
Listeriosis is mild in most people. It typically causes symptoms such as vomiting, high temperature and diarrhea. These symptoms often pass after three days without the need for treatment.
However, in rare cases of the infection, the symptoms can be more severe. The bacterium can infect other parts of the body and can lead to serious complications such as meningitis.
Anyone with concerns about the recall can contact Tesco's Customer Services directly on 0800 505 555.
Photo: Gordon Joly | Flickr
