Tesco pulls cupcakes from shelves after allergen labelling error

The affected product did not include soya as an ingredient that ‘poses a risk’ to those who are allergic to the bean

Tesco 18 Cupcakes are recalled because some packs contain unlabelled soya (Tesco/Food Standards Agency)

Tesco has recalled a batch of its own brand cupcakes after an allergy labelling error that could pose a risk to some customers.

The supermarket chain said it was removing Tesco 18 Cupcakes from its shelves because some of the packs contained 12 Party Cupcakes, which have soya in them.

The affected product, on sale for £6, did not include soya as an ingredient that “poses a risk” to those who are allergic to the bean, which is used in various food products.

A soya allergy can cause various symptoms, including vomiting, stomach cramps, indigestion and diarrhoea and, in severe cases, anaphylaxis - when a person’s throat and tongue swell and they have difficulty breathing.

“Tesco is recalling the product from customers and has been advised to contact the relevant allergy support organisations, which will tell their members about the recall,” the Food Standards Agency said in a s statement.

“The company has also issued a recall notice to its customers. These notices explain to customers why the product is being recalled and tell them what to do if they have bought the product.”

Tesco said the affected cupcakes have a best before date of 27 February and the batch code is 240026.

Anyone who has bought a packet of the cupcakes is urged not to eat them and advised to return them to a store where a full refund will be given.

“Tesco apologises to our customers for any inconvenience caused,” the supermarket said.