Selfridges

Melrose and Morgan has recalled its Selfridges Speciality Christmas Puddings produced for Selfridges with a best-before date of 30 April 2016 because of the presence of mould.

The Food Standards Agency said it was likely people would have already been eaten the puddings given their seasonality, but some might still be in homes because they were still in date.

The FSA said the presence of mould did not usually cause food poisoning, but there was an indication it had resulted in the spoilage of the 800g product, which has batch codes v7, v8 and v11. No other Selfridges or Melrose and Morgan products were known to be affected, the FSA added, and Melrose and Morgan was reviewing its production processes to establish the cause.

Consumers were advised not to eat the puddings, and to return them to Selfridges.

“The puddings have been sent for laboratory testing and we will continue to work closely with Selfridges and the Food Standards Agency once results have been received,” said Melrose and Morgan MD Ian James.

Food safety and the quality of its products were of paramount importance to Melrose and Morgan, which “sincerely” apologised to Selfridges customers for any inconvenience the recall may have caused.

A Selfridges spokeswoman said: “At Selfridges, the quality standards of all our food products are of great importance to us and we take these matters very seriously.

“A very small number of hand-made puddings were affected, so as a precautionary measure, we have recalled all packs of Selfridges Selection Speciality Christmas Puddings.”

Customers would get a full refund, she added.