Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons urgently recall cheese product linked to paralysis
A brand of cheese is being recalled from British supermarket shelves as it may contain bacteria which can cause paralysis.
Primula cheese, which costs around £1.50 for 150g tube in major supermarkets, tested positive to being contaminated with clostridium botulinum, a type of bacteria which could cause a dangerous type of food poisoning called Botulism.
The toxins of the bacteria are understood to be extremely powerful as they attack the nervous system and could cause paralysis.
The urgent product recall, issued through the Food Standards Agency (FSA) website, will also be displayed via public service posters within stores affected.
Branches of Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Tesco are said to be impacted by the withdrawal notice.
A spokesperson for Primula said: ‘As a precaution, we have stopped all product distribution.
‘We have also instructed retailers to remove Primula tubes from shelves with immediate effect. Customers are also advised not to eat any Primula Cheese tubes they have already purchased.
‘We would also like to apologise to those who won’t be able to get their hands on our cheese for a short period of time while we work hard to resolve the issue.’
Alarm bells were raised after one of Primula’s products came back positive for the dangerous bacteria during testing.
As a result, all of Primula’s cheese have been recalled by the manufacturer as a precaution. The product will only return until the issue is resolved.
Early symptoms of Botulism include cramps, vomiting, diarrhoea and nausea, while paralysis can be spotted early after signs of slurred speech, difficulty swallowing and dropping eyelids.
If you display any of these symptoms, you should call 999 or go straight to A&E.
The FSA website also carries the Primula statement. Anyone who has recently bought the product is being advised not to eat it.
Instead, Primula can be contacted on 0800 716 551 or through the email address primula@kavli.co.uk where a refund will be made.
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