Tesco has issued an urgent recall for packets of its gluten-free white breadcrumbs due to contamination with wheat.
An alert, issued today by the Food Standards Agency (FSA), states that the product—which is part of the supermarket giant’s “Free From” range—poses a ‘possible health risk’ for people with an allergy to wheat, or who have coeliac disease.
The FSA said: ‘Tesco is recalling Tesco Free From Breadcrumbs because they contain wheat (gluten) which is not mentioned on the label.
‘This means the product is a possible health risk for anyone with an allergy or intolerance to wheat or gluten, or with coeliac disease.’
The FSA advises anyone who has an allergy or intolerance to wheat or gluten, or coeliac disease to not eat the product, and to return it to any Tesco store for a full refund. No receipt is required.
While all batches of the £1.30 product are affected, all other products in the Free From range remain safe to eat.
Tesco launched its Free From range in 2003. It is aimed at people with dietary restrictions, including vegans, people with egg allergies, and gluten intolerance—as well as life-threatening conditions such as coeliac disease.
Coeliac disease is a genetic autoimmune disorder where the ingestion of gluten leads to damage in the small intestine.
Tesco launched its Free From range in 2003
These attacks damage the villi, the small finger-like projections that line the small intestine that promote nutrient absorption.
It is estimated to affect one in 100 people worldwide.
Coeliac UK estimate that approximately 1 in 100 people in the UK have coeliac disease, which is about one million people.
However, only about 36 per cent have been formally diagnosed, meaning an estimated 500,000 to 600,000 people are unaware that they have the condition.
There are more than 200 symptoms of coeliac disease but the most common ones—which are triggered by ingesting wheat or gluten—are abdominal bloating and pain, chronic diarrhoea or constipation, vomiting, and passing pale, foul-smelling, or fatty stools. It can also cause weight loss and fatigue.
The disease is incurable, and the only treatment is adhering to a strict, gluten-free diet.
Studies show that the average patient takes 13 years to be diagnosed, as the signs are often subtle and can easily be mistaken for other, less serious problems like irritable bowel syndrome.
If left untreated, the condition poses potentially life-threatening complications.
A product recall has been issued for Tesco’s Free From breadcrumbs
The item is no longer for sale online or in stores
At the milder end of the scale, the illness causes the digestive system to absorb nutrients poorly, leading to severe vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
Long term, the condition can trigger osteoporosis — a condition where the bones become brittle and weak, as a result of failure to absorb calcium.
Some become malnourished, dramatically increasing the risk of contracting potentially deadly infections.
Those with untreated coeliac disease are also more likely to develop lactose intolerance — where the body lacks the enzyme needed to digest the natural sugar (lactose) found in dairy products.
Lactose intolerance triggers unpleasant symptoms such as bloating, diarrhoea and stomach pain.
Most alarmingly, studies suggest that those with coeliac disease are more than twice as likely to develop some types of deadly cancers than those without the condition.
Bowel cancer and Hodgkin lymphoma blood cancer are both more common in those with coeliac disease.
However, following a gluten free diet dramatically reduces this risk.
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .