Thousands of jars of Bovril beef extract have been recalled after checks revealed traces of salmonella, manufacturer Unilever said.
The company said it was recalling 15,000 jars and 72 plastic tubs sent to stores across the UK “as a precautionary measure”.
The alert followed routine checks which identified traces of salmonella in a small number of packs produced during a specific period.
The products being recalled are 250g glass jars of Bovril Beef Extract with a best-before-end date of January 2010 and batch codes of L8201XX795, L8206XX795, L8207XX795 and L8208XX795.
Bovril Beef Extract in 600g plastic tubs with a Jan 2010 best-before-end date and batch code L8207XX795 are also being recalled.
The information can be found on the back label of glass jars or on the base of plastic tubs.
A Unilever spokeswoman said: “We have decided to take the precaution of issuing a product recall on Bovril Beef Extract 250g glass jars and 600g plastic tubs after routine internal quality checks identified traces of salmonella in a small number of products.
“The health and safety of our consumers is paramount and we would like to reassure them that only a small volume of production has been affected.
“However, we are recalling a greater quantity as a precautionary measure and have suspended the manufacture and supply of this product until additional tests confirm it is safe to resume.
“We have launched an immediate investigation and we are working closely with the Food Standards Agency and relevant authorities to ensure this does not happen again.
“This is an isolated incident and no other Bovril or Unilever products are affected. We apologise for any inconvenience caused and thank our consumers for their cooperation in this matter.”
Concerned customers can call a free helpline on 0800 146 252 for advice and a refund.
Unilever asked customers not to return the product by post or return it to the retailer but to dispose of it with usual refuse
