Undeclared wheat causes cake recall from UK supermarkets

Consumers with gluten and wheat allergy might have severe reactions if they consume Welsh Cottage Cakes Spelt & Fruit Cake by mistake. The presence of wheat in the product is not declared on the packaging, which may lead to someone with a gluten allergy to buy the product. To prevent people from making the error of buying the product with the undeclared ingredient, Welsh Cottage Cakes has decided to recall certain batches of the Spelt & Fruit Cake.

The product has been declared as a "possible health risk to for anyone with an allergy or intolerance to wheat or gluten." Food Standards Agency (FSA) in the United Kingdom has instructed the manufacturer of Spelt & Fruit Cake to recall the product from stores. Stores like ASDA and Sainsburys have been contacted to pull the items off the shelves.

Batches with expiry dates ranging from November 23, 2019, to January 11, 2020, are the ones that have been removed from stores. The FSA website offers details on the batch numbers of the recalled product. On the website, FSA also declares that the allergy risk is limited to the Welsh Cottage Cakes Spelt & Fruit Cake. Other Welsh Cottage Cakes products are safe for consumption.

FSA has instructed the company to take a number of measures to ensure that no allergic customer ends up with the product. Apart from simply recalling them from stores, Welsh Cottage Cakes have issued point-of-sale notices.

Information regarding the recalled batches, the reason for the recall, and other details have been put up at all supermarkets where the products were sold. The notice points out that both the large and the small variants of the cake have undeclared wheat in them.

Welsh Cottage Cakes have also reached out to the relevant allergy support organisations around the UK. The organisations will be getting in touch with their members to notify them of the tainted product.

FSA clarified that even though the recalled cakes are not harmful to most consumers, the improper allergy labelling makes them unsafe for a number of people. Hence, to ensure the safety of all consumers, the product has been recalled. Those customers with gluten intolerance who have bought the product can get in touch with the manufacturers at 01558 824213 or sales@welshcottagecakes.co.uk. Customers can get a full refund for the recalled product.