Frozen food recalled as 19,000 bags never should have been sold

McCain said the food was not tested to UK standards

An immediate recall has been issued for frozen food which never should have been sold in the UK. McCain Foods GB issued the notice as it became aware that a distributor was selling McCain Foods India retail products it had imported as part of a small market trial.

A limited number of packets from nine different product lines were available in 20 stores from May 19 as part of the trial. Once it became aware of the imported products, McCain GB investigated and identified an error in the compliance check process, which means that although the items meet Indian market regulations, they have not been thoroughly assessed for the UK market, reports the Mirror.

There is a risk of the potential presence of UK-specific allergens (mustard and celery) and the potential presence of ethylene oxide – used to preserve product seasonings. McCain has ensured all products are now removed from sale, with 24,992 packs withdrawn from the market.

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Out of a total of 43,663 packs, 18,671 were purchased by customers prior to the removal of the products from shelves. This recall applies to all batch codes and ‘best before’ dates for the products. No other McCain products are affected.

The products are:

• McCain Veggie Nuggets 325g
• McCain Veggie Burger Patty 360g
• McCain Aloo Tikki 400g
• McCain Veggie Fingers 400g
• McCain Chilli Garlic Potato Bites 420g
• McCain Masala Fries 420g
• McCain French Fries Pepper Crunch 420g
• McCain Crazy Fries Hot N Tangy Masala Mix 400g
• McCain Crazy Fries Herb n Garlic Masala Mix 400g

A McCain spokesperson said: “We take the safety and well-being of our customers extremely seriously and are recalling these products out of an abundance of caution. We apologise for the inconvenience caused.”