Two suppliers of supermarket sandwiches, wraps and salads are recalling various products because of a risk they could be contaminated with E. coli.
More than 200 people in the UK have been infected by an outbreak of the bacteria, suspected to be linked to food, since 25 May.
At least 60 of those have needed hospital treatment, according to official figures.
The items are being recalled as a precaution, although bacteria have not been detected in them. It is thought salad leaves are at the centre of the alert.
Greencore Group is recalling sandwiches, wraps and salads sold at places including Sainsbury’s, Asda, Aldi, Morrisons, Co-op, Amazon and retail pharmacy chain Boots.
And Samworth Brothers Manton Wood is recalling various sandwiches and wraps from Tesco and One Stop, as well as a wrap by The Gym Kitchen.
Darren Whitby, head of incidents at the Food Standards Agency, said: “Sandwich manufacturers are taking a precautionary measure to recall various sandwiches wraps and salads in response to findings from investigations by the Food Standards Agency (FSA), Food Standards Scotland (FSS) and UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), who are working to identify the cause of an ongoing outbreak caused by shiga toxin-producing E.coli (Stec).”
E.coli are a diverse group of bacteria that are normally harmless and live in the intestines, but some strains, such as Stec, can make people very ill.
The FSA, issuing alerts from the two companies, said: “If you have bought any of the above products do not eat them.”
It advises anyone who has any of the products to return them to the store for a full refund or to contact customer services.
Andrew Opie, of the British Retail Consortium, said: “Food safety is the highest priority for our members and those who sell or prepare food are well-versed in food safety measures.
“Following investigations by the FSA and UKHSA regulators, a number of manufacturers in the supply chain are taking precautionary measures and issuing a recall notice for a small number of products. Retailers affected are taking swift action to remove these products from sale and are working closely with the Food Standards Agency to take any further action needed to minimise risk to their customers.”
Earlier this month, health chiefs reported 113 cases of E.coli in less than two weeks, saying it was likely the outbreak was linked to “a nationally distributed food item or multiple food items”.
The cases ranged from children aged two to 79-years-olds. Most cases were described as young adults.
The UKHSA puts the latest tally of infections at 211 since 25 May, but expects the number to rise as testing is continuing.
People infected with Stec can suffer diarrhoea, and about half of cases have bloody diarrhoea.
Other symptoms include stomach cramps and fever. Symptoms can last up to two weeks in uncomplicated cases.
