Wide-Ranging Bread and Pasta Recall Issued

Consumers in the UK are being advised against eating certain bread and pasta salad products due to serious health concerns. In a May 16 alert, the UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) revealed that nearly two dozen different bread products – including baguettes, French sticks, sandwiches, rolls, and wraps – manufactured and supplied by Bread Spread Ltd have been recalled due to contamination issues.

The recall impacts Tuna sweetcorn French stick, ham cheese French stick, chicken tikka French stick, chicken sweetcorn French stick, egg sausage sandwich, chicken tikka sandwich, chicken salad sandwich, chicken sweetcorn sandwich, ham cheese sandwich, cheese ploughman sandwich, chicken mayo soft roll, tuna sweetcorn soft roll, egg mayo soft roll, cheese onion soft roll, chicken tikka soft roll, tuna sweetcorn torpedo, chicken mayo torpedo, ham cheese torpedo, egg mayo torpedo, chicken bacon twist, tuna sweetcorn twist, chicken sweetcorn baguette, and egg mayo sausage baguette. These products were manufactured and supplied by Bread Spread Ltd, under the brand names Bread Spread, Orbital Foods and Perfect Bite. All package sizes of the products with use by dates up to and including 18 May 2024 are included in the recall.

The recall is the result of contamination concerns after the products were not “manufactured in accordance with food law requirements.” According to the FSA, the recalled products are “subject to a number of hygiene and traceability contraventions which makes them unsafe to eat,” and “listeria monocytogenes has been found in some of the products.” Listeria monocytogenes is the bacterium that can cause listeria infection, a serious infection that can cause fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms. Young children, frail or elderly people, pregnant women, and others with weakened immune systems are at the highest risk. In some cases, it can be fatal.

Health officers said in the alert that “Environmental Health and Trading Standards Services have been alerted to remove chilled and ready-to-eat products” included in the recall, and “food businesses such as catering establishments and corner shops, across the UK supplied by Bread Spread Ltd should withdraw from sale any chilled and ready-to-eat foods and recall from consumers any of these products.” The organization said the products are “unsafe to eat” and should be disposed of.