Tesco urgently recalls popular breakfast cereal over allergy fears 

Tesco has recalled one of its own-brand free from cereals over fears it may contain milk and hazelnuts — which aren’t mentioned on the label.

The supermarket’s Free-From Bran Flakes with a May 26, 2024 ‘use by’ date might pose a risk to people who are allergic or intolerant to the ingredients.

This is because some of its 300g boxes may be mixed with pieces from its Chocolate Pillows cereal, which contains both milk and hazelnut. 

The Food Standards Agency (FSA), which published the alert, told people in the UK who are intolerant or allergic to these components not to eat the breakfast cereal.

Instead, they can return the £2 box to the Tesco store they bought it from for a full refund, even if they don’t have a receipt. 

You can return the 300g, £2.00 box to the Tesco store they bought it from for a full refund, even if they don’t have a receipt.

There is a risk some boxes may be mixed with chocolate pillowcase cereal which contains both ingredients

The FSA issues food recalls — when customers are asked to return a product — when problems are spotted with food that means it should not be sold.

Tesco wrote on the notice: ‘We have been made aware that some packs of Tesco Free From Bran Flakes 300g may contain a small amount of another variant of cereal (chocolate pillows), which contains milk and hazelnut. 

‘This is not declared on the Tesco Free From Bran Flakes 300g packaging and therefore the product could pose a safety risk to those people with an allergy or intolerance to milk and/or nuts.’ 

The Free From Bran Flakes are made from rice and maize bran. Its label states that it does not contain gluten, wheat or milk.

Those with a gluten intolerance or coeliac disease — when the body attacks substances found inside gluten — can suffer diarrhoea, stomach aches and bloating if they consume it. 

Those who can’t eat hazelnut are allergic to the molecules found in tree nuts. 

Hazelnut allergy symptoms can include hives or eczema, coughing swelling of the lips, tongue and around the lips.

People who can’t consume milk are either allergic to the proteins in cow’s milk or they cannot digest the sugar in the product — known as lactose intolerance.

Milk allergy symptoms can range from a rash, itching and swelling on the skin to vomiting, stomach cramps and diarrhoea that starts within minutes of eating or drinking items that contain dairy.

In severe cases, those with milk or hazelnut allergies, who consume products containing these ingredients, can suffer anaphylaxis — a severe, life-threatening reaction when swelling in the throat can block the airways.