Sainsbury’s urgently recalls favourite cooking ingredient due to salmonella
Sainsbury’s has issued an urgent recall for its own-brand flaked almonds as they contain salmonella bacteria.
Customers are warned not to eat the ‘by Sainsbury’s’ almonds sold in 200g packs and return them to stores for a full refund.
Salmonella poisoning causes most people to suffer diarrhoea, fever and stomach cramps that can last for a week.
The bacteria is often associated with raw or undercooked meat, poultry or eggs as it typically lives in the gut of birds and animals.
However, past outbreaks have been linked to products including chocolate, with Kinder Eggs causing dozens of children to become ill in 2022.
Flaked almonds are typically used as a cooking ingredient in curries and desserts, or as a healthy snack.
A post on the Food Standards Agency website says: ‘Point of sale notices will be displayed in stores where the product was sold.’
It adds: ‘If you have bought the above product do not eat it. Instead return it to the store from where it was bought for a full refund.’
What is salmonella and what are its symptoms?
Salmonella are rod-shaped bacteria which typically live in the intestines of animals or humans.
The name has nothing to do with the fish – it comes from the surname of American vet Daniel Elmer Salmon, who ran the lab where the bacteria was discovered.
Beyond the abdominal cramps, diarrhoea and fever experienced by most people who are infected, other symptoms can include:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Chills
- Headache
- Blood in the stool
How is salmonella spread?
According to the Food Standards Agency, salmonella bacteria is shed through faeces.
In most cases, humans are infected through contaminated food, with raw meat, undercooked poultry, eggs and unpasteurised milk the worst offenders.
It can be particularly dangerous for young children, those aged over 65, or people whose immune systems are not working properly.
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