Sainsbury’s has recalled two varieties of its own-brand hummus over fears they may contain a deadly strain of E coli. Customers who have bought the products are advised not to eat them.
The affected items are 315g containers of JS Classic Houmous with a use-by date of 13 September, and 200g tubs of JS Lemon & Coriander Houmous with a use-by date of 14 September. The Food Standards Agency said the batches could contain shiga toxin-producing E coli (Stec) and have been recalled as a precaution.
Point of sale notices will be displayed in stores until 3 October. Sainsbury’s apologised and advised customers not to eat the products. They can be returned for a full refund.
Symptoms of Stec infection include diarrhoea, with bleeding in half of cases, fever and abdominal pain. Most cases are self-limiting and last up to two weeks, but a small proportion of patients, mainly children, can develop life-threatening haemolytic uremic syndrome, which can lead to kidney failure.
Stec bacteria are most prevalent in cattle in the UK. The strain is particularly infectious as very few bacteria are needed to cause illness. The UK Health Security Agency reported 2,544 cases of Stec infection in England in 2024, a 26% rise compared with the previous year.
Several supermarkets were forced to withdraw products in June last year when sandwich makers Greencore and Samworth Brothers recalled items during another outbreak of E coli linked to a variety of salad leaf.
