Anyone allergic to peanuts has been warned not to eat a festive chocolate product sold at Aldi, which could be contaminated with the allergen.
A product recall notice has been issued for 90g packs of Salted Caramel Filled Gonks, which look like chocolate gnomes in a blue and white packet.
The sweets, by Dairyfine, do not mention peanuts on the packaging and therefore pose a ‘possible health risk’, the Food Standards Agency said.
All packages of this size are affected, no matter the use by date.
Aldi said in a statement: ‘As a precautionary measure, our supplier is recalling Dairyfine Salted Caramel Filled Gonks because it may contain peanuts.
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‘Customers are asked to return this product to their nearest store, where a full refund will be given.
‘We apologise that this product did not meet our normal high standards and thank you for your co-operation.’
Signs will be put up in Aldi stores warning customers about the problem, and the company has been advised to contact allergy support organisations who will circulate the warning to members.
The recall was first issued on November 28, and reissued today with slight amendments including removing an incorrect batch code, which was actually the bar code.
Peanut allergies can be deadly, with some people so badly affected that even being around peanuts without consuming them can be dangerous.
In October, a woman with a severe allergy pleaded with airlines to stop serving foods with nuts after a close call during a long-haul flight.
Josie North, who has a life-threatening allergy to nuts, was travelling from Los Angeles back to London on a 10-hour Virgin Atlantic flight when she saw that pecan pie was on the menu, and had to plead with staff not ti serve it.
In recent years, there has been a decrease in peanut allergies due to a change in guidance on when allergens should first be introduced to children.
A 2023 study, published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, says there’s a ‘clear window of opportunity’ to expose infants to peanuts – in smooth or baby friendly forms.
It found introducing peanut to babies between the age of four and six months could reduce the risk of them developing a peanut allergy by up to 77%.
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