Sainsbury's issues urgent recall of Appletiser canned drinks with warning

Supermarket giant Sainsbury's is the latest retailer to recall a certain batch of Appletiser drinks after a Europe-wide warning over "elevated chlorate levels".

Sainsbury's has urged anyone who has bought a six-pack of a canned fizzy drink to return it to store immediately.

The supermarket has today (January 30) sent out an email to its customers with instructions if they have bought the product. It says: "Sainsbury’s have been made aware that Appletiser are recalling the above products as they may contain an elevated level of chlorate. We are asking customers that have purchased the above products not to consume them and to return them to their nearest Sainsbury’s store, where they will receive a full refund.

"For any further information please contact 0800 227711. No other products have been affected by this issue. Appletiser would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused." The recall has come after certain batches imported to the UK were feared to contain elevated levels of chlorate, which if consumed in large quantities, can affect people's health.

Exact batch numbers

The recall, initially made by Coca-Cola, said it was removing 6x250ml Appletiser multipacks from shelves after working with the Food Standards Agency (FSA). Initially the batch numbers 328 GE to 338 GE that had been supplied to cafes and restaurants had been isolated as the only products affected. But now Sainsbury's is removing its Appletiser multi-packs from stores, meaning Brits could have the drinks in their homes.

A statement by Coca-Cola Europacific Partners said: "Whilst independent analysis concluded that the likelihood of any associated risk of feeling temporarily unwell from consuming these products is very low, for the reassurance of consumers, we encourage anyone with an affected can to please call our customer service team on 0800 227711 who will be able to help.

"No other Coca-Cola products are affected by the issue. The quality and safety of our products is our top priority and we’re sorry that on this occasion, a small number of our products have not met our high standards, and we apologise for any inconvenience this has caused.”

Anne Gravett of the FSA said on Monday evening: "The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is investigating if any Coca-Cola products containing 'higher levels' of a chemical called chlorate are on the UK market. If we identify any unsafe food, we'll take action to ensure it is removed and alert consumers."