A POPULAR milkshake has been pulled from B&M store shelves over fears it could cause dangerous allergic reactions.
The chain recalled the Biscoff Shake Up Milkshake set after finding that the product contained milk not mentioned on the label.
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“This means the product is a possible health risk for anyone with an allergy or intolerance to milk or milk constituents,” the Foods Standards Agency (FSA) warned.
If you’re allergic to milk, consuming food with it could cause symptoms like sneezing, wheezing and breathlessness, itchy skin and feeling or being sick.
But it’s also possible to suffer a life-threatening reaction to an allergen called anaphylaxis, which can come on very quickly.
Symptoms of lactose intolerance, meanwhile, tend to be milder and include tummy pain and discomfort, bloating, farting, diarrhoea and constipation.
In its own product recall notice, B&M said the milkshakes contained sodium caseinate, a protein derived from milk.
While sodium caseinate was stated in the ingredients list, it wasn’t mentioned as an allergen, the retailer explained.
The recall involves all Biscoff Shake Up Milkshake sets with sell up by dates up to and including January 22, 2024.
People with an allergy or intolerance to milk or milk constituents were warned not to consume the milkshakes if they’d bought them.
Instead, they were told to return the products to their nearest B&M store for a full refund, with or without a receipt.
What are the symptoms of anaphylaxis?
Anaphylaxis is a a life-threatening allergic reaction to food, medicine or insect stings that happens very quickly.
It’ll usually take effect within minutes of coming into contact with something you’re allergic to.
Symptoms include:
- Swelling of your throat and tongue
- Difficulty breathing or breathing very fast
- Difficulty swallowing, tightness in your throat or a hoarse voice
- Wheezing, coughing or noisy breathing
- Feeling tired or confused
- Feeling faint, dizzy or fainting
- Skin that feels cold to the touch
- Blue, grey or pale skin, lips or tongue – if you have brown or black skin, this may be easier to see on the palms of your hands or soles of your feet
- A swollen, raised or itchy rash
The NHS advises you follow these steps if you have anaphylaxis:
- Use an adrenaline auto-injector such as an EpiPen if you have one – follow the instructions on the side of the injector.
- Call 999 for an ambulance and say that you think you’re having an anaphylactic reaction.
- Lie down – you can raise your legs, and if you’re struggling to breathe, raise your shoulders or sit up slowly but lie on your lieft side if you’re pregnant
- If you have been stung by an insect, try to remove the sting if it’s still in the skin.
- If your symptoms have not improved after 5 minutes, use a second adrenaline auto-injector.
Meanwhile, sausages have been pulled from shelves after batches of the product were found to be contaminated with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) bacteria.
Eating food laced with this bacteria could cause severe diarrhoea that could have blood in it and tummy pain.
It could also result in a serious and sometime fatal condition called haemolytic uremic syndrome that can lead to kidney failure.
STEC bacteria was found in a number of batches of Yayla Sucuk sausages.
Their manufacturer Könecke Sp. Z.o.o recalled batches with the following use by dates from shop shelves:
- January 14 2024
- January 26 2024
- February 23 2024
- March 1 2024
Shops selling the sausages were asked to display notices about the recall.
The FSA advised customers not to eat the meats and return them to stores instead for a full refund.
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