Following updated information regarding the E.coli outbreak in ready to eat products, plant-based food company This! has recalled its This! Isn't Chicken and Bacon Wrap product because of possible contamination.
The advice issued amid a rise in Shiga toxin-producing E.coli (STEC) has been updated to reflect recent findings, which state that the outbreak is linked to salad leaves. Head of Incidents at the Food Standards Agency (FSA), Darren Whitby, said the agency had worked with Food Standards Scotland (FSS) and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to identify the cause of the outbreak.
Whitby stated: "This is a complex investigation, and we have worked swiftly with the relevant businesses and the local authorities concerned to narrow down the wide range of foods consumed to a small number of salad leaf products that have been used in sandwiches, wraps, subs and rolls. Following thorough food chain analysis, these products are being recalled as a precaution."
The This! Isn't Chicken and Bacon Wrap, which is only sold at retailer WH Smith, was recalled on 16th June, with the FSA stating that E.coli had not been detected "but it [the product] is being recalled as a precaution".
Food producers Greencore Group and Samworth Brothers also recalled multiple sandwiches, wraps and salads as a precautionary measure because of possible contamination with E.coli, with the products supplied to a range of supermarkets and retailers.
The outbreak of STEC 0145 has now reached a confirmed 211 cases:
- 147 in England
- 27 in Wales
- 35 in Scotland
- 2 in Northern Ireland (for these cases, evidence suggests that they acquired their infection while visiting England).
Using information from 160 cases, FSA found that 42% were admitted to hospital.
Trish Mannes, Incident Director at UKHSA, said: "We would like to thank all the cases who have provided information that has enabled us, through epidemiological analysis of questionnaire data and food tracing investigations, to narrow down the likely food product linked to this outbreak."
