Last updated on 11 July 2012

Buchanan's withdraws desiccated coconut

Buchanan's is withdrawing all of its desiccated coconut with a 'best before' date of June 2013, which was initially distributed only in Northern Ireland. The product contains sulphites/sulphur dioxide, which isn't mentioned on the label. If you're allergic to or intolerant of sulphites/sulphur dioxide, don't eat this product. The Agency has issued a UK-wide Allergy Alert.

Product details

The product being recalled is:

  • Buchanan's Desiccated Coconut, 170g
  • Best before date: June 2013

Buchanan’s is withdrawing all the affected stock, which was initially distributed only in Northern Ireland. Further investigation found that the product has also been supplied to a few premises on the UK mainland. If you’ve bought the product you can return it to the store for a full refund. Customer notices will be displayed in stores, explaining the reason for the withdrawal. In addition, the company will be contacting the relevant allergy support organisations, which will explain to their members why the product is being withdrawn.

No other Buchanan’s products are known to be affected.

About allergy alerts

Sometimes there will be a problem with a food product that means it should not be sold. Then it might be 'withdrawn' (taken off the shelves) or 'recalled' (when customers are asked to return the product). Sometimes foods have to be withdrawn or recalled if there is a risk to consumers because the allergy labelling is missing or incorrect or if there is any other food allergy risk.

In such situations the Agency will issue an Allergy Alert. It is also possible to subscribe to an email alert system to receive automatic messages whenever Allergy Alerts are issued. Click on 'Get alerts' in the box at the bottom of this page to find more details.

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