Lidl faced a Christmas PR disaster this weekend as its gravy granules were found to contain unsafe levels of a paint thinner chemical.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) advised customers not to eat the two affected batches of Kania Gravy Granules on Saturday after finding xylene - a chemical that occurs naturally in petroleum and crude oil - in the 300g meat and chicken packets.
Lidl has recalled batches with best before dates of October and November 2017 and will provide customers with a full refund.
Xylene is classified as a harmful chemical and can cause ingestion and irritation of the mouth and throat. Severe ingestion can cause symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, nausea and vomiting.
But the FSA reassured consumers they were unlikely to suffer any health effects from ingesting the gravy and any symptoms would be “short-term with no long-term consequences”.
This morning, The Independent claimed Lidl was aware of problems with its gravy granules two weeks before it issued the public recall.
South Wales customer Eugene Vatsaloo informed Lidl and environmental health authorities of a possible contamination on 2 December after becoming a concerned about a “noxious smell” coming from the granules, according to the paper.
He and his family became “quickly unwell” after consuming the gravy and his two children experienced headaches and burning and blisters in their throat, The Independent reported.
But Lidl said it had launched an investigation as soon as it was made aware of the problem, having issued a recall in all stores on 5 December.
“We are taking the issue very seriously and we have been in contact with the Food Standards Agency, and continue to work very closely with our British supplier to identify the cause,” a spokeswoman said.
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