Tesco recalls pasta salad over E. coli contamination

Tesco has issued an urgent recall for a specific pasta salad product due to a potential contamination with a harmful strain of E. coli, warning customers not to consume the affected items. The recall, announced in coordination with the Food Standards Agency (FSA), applies to the Tesco Finest Mozzarella Pearls Pesto Orzo Salad in 215g packs. The affected products carry use-by dates of August 25, 26, and 27, 2026.

The supermarket chain stated that the salad may be contaminated with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), a bacterium that can cause severe foodborne illness. Symptoms of an STEC infection include severe diarrhoea, sometimes bloody, abdominal pain, vomiting, and dehydration. In more serious cases, particularly among young children and the elderly, it can lead to haemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a condition that can cause kidney failure and may be fatal.

Tesco has instructed customers who have purchased the affected product to not eat it and to return it to any Tesco store for a full refund. No receipt is required. The company has issued recall notices to customers explaining the reason for the action and the steps to take. "If you have purchased an affected batch of...