on 14 September, the FSA flagged up a recall initiated by a company called Soupologie of three types of soup "because they may contain Listeria monocytogenes”.
The products were:
- 600g packs of Soupologie 5-a-day Classic Tomato with Carrot & Red Pepper Soup, with a batch code of 03969 and a best before date of 1 October 2019;
- 600g packs of Soupologie Broccoli, Pea & Basil Soup with a batch code of 03984 and a best before date of 2 October 2019;
- 600g packs of Soupologie Pea & Leek Soup, with a batch code of 03980 and a best before date of 2 October 2019.
Point of sale notices
“Soupologie is recalling the above products," said the FSA in a statement. “Point-of-sale notices will be displayed in all retail stores that are selling these products. These notices explain to customers why the products are being recalled and tell them what to do if they have bought the product.
“If you have bought any of the above products, do not eat them. Instead, return them to the store from where they were bought for a full refund (with or without a receipt).”
On 13 September, the FSA also posted a separate, unrelated notice warning: “a number of ready-to-eat products (sandwiches, wraps and salads) supplied in the north east of England by Café Class Ltd have not been produced in accordance with food hygiene and legislative requirements”.
Some ingredients used to manufacture the products had been found to have a shorter use-by date than the use-by date displayed on the end-product packaging.
Also, an ingredient was identified in one product (Breakfast Sandwich) that was intended to be cooked, but had been used as ready-to-eat, presenting a safety risk, according to the FSA.
Not compliant with food law
Therefore, the products were not compliant with food law requirements, it said. The affected products had been sold mainly in local convenience stores in the north east of England.
“We have requested that enforcement authorities in the north east of England contact the food businesses within their areas to determine whether the premises hold any products supplied by Café Class Ltd or have placed on the market affected batches of product from Café Class Ltd,” the FSA stated. “Any product identified should be withdrawn and recalled and disposed of by the business or by the consumer. We request that product is not returned to Café Class Ltd.”
All products of all sizes had been affected, with use-by dates up to 15 September 2019.