Tesco urgently recalls popular lunchtime meal over E. coli fears

You can get seriously ill if you eat it

Meanwhile, the Food Standards Agency has advised those who are experiencing symptoms to “stay away” from school and work.

After the possible presence of E.coli (STEC) was found, the meal which has been urgently recalled is Tesco’s Finest Mozzarella Pearls & Pesto Orzo Salad.

The product was recalled following the presence of E. coli which can cause serious illness (Image credit: Tesco)

The batches affected were those with the best before dates of August 25, 26 and 27, which shoppers have been advised to “not eat” the product, the retailer said.

What Tesco said about the recalled product

“Tesco is recalling specific dates codes of Tesco Finest Mozzarella Pearls & Pesto Orzo Salad 215g, due to the possible presence of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), which if consumed can cause illness”, Tesco said in a written statement.

Serious illness, including bloody diarrhoea, abdominal pain and vomiting or low fever may be caused by the Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) strain.

According to the Food Standards Agency, customers who may be experiencing the following side effects have been urged to “stay away from work, school or nursery” for at least 48 hours to avoid passing the illness to others.

If you’ve bought the product, you are able to return it to any Tesco store for a full refund.

To do this no receipt is required, while alternatively you are also able to contact the support team for more information.

While it confirmed that no other products had been affected by the recall, Tesco said it was “sorry for the inconvenience caused”.

In the past month, a number of products have issued similar recalls over the presence of E.coli.

These include Summit Food wraps and Rupunzel’s BionSnacky seed toppers.

You should contact a medical professional immediately, should you start to experience severe symptoms.