Urgent ‘do not eat’ warning for fresh turkey sold at major supermarket as packs wrongly say meat does not go off until June – 6 months after correct use-by date

Packs of fresh turkey breast are being recalled after wrongly being stamped with a use-by date six months after the meat is actually set to go off.

Lidl’s Deluxe Irish Carved Peppered Tukey Breast has been issued with a ‘do not eat’ warning by food safety chiefs.

The date printed on the packaging incorrectly states it goes off on June 25, when it should be labelled January 25.

Officials at the Food Standards Agency (FSA), which published the alert, warned the labelling error makes the meat ‘unsafe to eat’. 

Only 130g packs with the use-by date June 25, 2024 are affected by the recall. They are sold at Lidl in Northern Ireland.

The product can be returned to a Lidl store where a full refund will be given. 

No receipt is needed to return the potentially contaminated item. 

Lidl has issued a point-of sale notice in its retail stores, explaining why the products are being recalled and what to do for those who have bought it. 

The supermarket said: ‘Our supplier, Flamewood is recalling the above use by date of Deluxe Irish Carved Peppered Turkey Breast due to the incorrect use by date printed on the product.’

It added: ‘Lidl wishes to apologise for any inconvenience caused.’

The FSA issues food recalls – which ask customers to return a product – when problems are spotted that means a product should not be sold.

It is vital to stick to use-by dates, even if a product looks and smells fine, because it could make you ‘very ill’, it warns. 

Food poisoning is rarely serious and most people get better within a week. 

The symptoms include feeling sick, diarrhoea, stomach cramps and a high temperature, the NHS says.  

For a use-by date to be valid, customers must stick to a food’s storage instructions, such as refrigerating a product after opening, to stop bacteria from spreading and to avoid food poisoning, the NHS warns.