Greggs issues urgent steak bake recall over 'possible health risk'

The high street bakery chain has confirmed that its frozen steak bakes - sold in Iceland stores - contain sulphites that are not declared on the label

Greggs has been forced to recall its steak bake as it could potentially pose a serious health risk.

The high street bakery chain has confirmed that its frozen steak bakes - sold in Iceland stores - contain sulphites that are not declared on the label. This means the product is a possible health risk for anyone with a sensitivity to sulphur dioxide and/or sulphites. The reason for the recall is that the two steak bake packs contain not steak bakes - but sausage, bean and cheese melts instead, which contain sulphites.

Sulphites can cause allergy-like symptoms in people with underlying asthma and allergic rhinitis. If consumed, it can cause wheezing, a tight chest and a cough. However, severe reactions can also include anaphylaxis - although this is rare according to Allergy UK. The pack sized affected is 280g and has the best before date of May, 19 2025. Greggs has confirmed that no other products, or batches of steak bakes are affected.

If you have bought this item, Greggs says you should not eat it, instead you should return the product to your nearest Iceland store for a full refund. You will not need a receipt to do this. In a statement, Greggs said: "We are very sorry for any inconvenience caused." If you need any more information on this recall, you can contact Gregg's customer care team on 08081473447 or email: getintouch@greggs.co.uk.

What are product recall notices?

Products can be recalled for a range of different reasons including safety – if a product displays risks for the customer – or quality – when the product isn't working as it should be. The Food Standards Agency is in charge of issuing alerts when there is a problem with a food product. The product can either be "withdrawn" which is where is it taken off the shelves or "recalled" which is when customers are asked to return it.

Food products need to be recalled if they are found to have been contaminated with pathogens that could cause food poisoning, or if plastic or metal has been found in the product due to manufacturing faults. Food items also need to be recalled if any allergen information is missing or incorrect.