The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has issued an allergy alert for Minton & Donello Organic White Orzo after discovering the product contains undeclared wheat (gluten). The pasta is mislabelled as "Orzo White Rice" and omits wheat from its ingredient list, posing a serious health risk to individuals with wheat or gluten allergies or coeliac disease.
Recall Details and Affected Batches
The recall affects the 500g pack size with batch codes 78850, 78850, and 78850. Best before dates include January 31, May 2, and May 24, 2027. The product was sold at Tesco, Ocado, Amazon, and Planet Organic, and the recall applies only to England and Wales.
Dundeis UK Ltd, the distributor, issued a recall notice stating: "Dundeis UK Ltd is recalling batches of Organic Orzo due to a labelling error and missing allergen labelling. Organic orzo has been labelled as Orzo White Rice. Additional to this, the product contains wheat (gluten), which is missing on the packaging ingredient declaration."
Health Risk and Consumer Advice
The FSA warned: "This product contains wheat making it a possible health risk for anyone with an allergy or intolerance to wheat or gluten or with coeliac disease." Customers who have purchased the affected product are advised not to eat it and to return it to the store for a full refund. A point-of-sale notice has been issued, and Dundeis UK has contacted allergy support organisations.
For further information, consumers can contact Dundeis UK at info@dundeis.co.uk or call +44 1782366715.
Understanding the Recall Process
Food products are either withdrawn (removed from shelves) or recalled (customers asked to return them) when there is a risk to consumers due to allergy labelling or other food safety issues. In this case, the mislabelling of orzo as rice and the missing allergen declaration prompted the recall.
