Late last night, national food safety authorities issued an urgent alert that quickly spread across the country. It concerns a product that has already made its way into the shopping baskets of thousands of customers nationwide. Regulators are strongly urging people not to consume it and to return it to the store immediately — even without a receipt.
The reason is a suspected contamination with a dangerous bacterium capable of causing serious food poisoning. Experts are not hiding their concern: part of the affected batch may have already been consumed before the warning was made public. This means many people may be unaware that they have potentially been exposed to a health risk.
Symptoms of infection can appear rapidly — nausea, vomiting, severe stomach cramps, diarrhoea and high fever. In most cases, the body recovers without medical treatment, but for young children, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems, the infection can lead to serious complications. That is why authorities issued a firm warning: “Do not eat.”
The product in question is Tesco’s own-brand Grape & Berry Medley fruit punnet, weighing 230g. Batches with use-by dates of 16 and 17 February 2026 are affected. Customers are advised to return the product to any Tesco store for a full refund.
Experts remind consumers that salmonella is one of the most common causes of food poisoning in the UK. The bacteria can survive on surfaces and multiply quickly if food is stored incorrectly or handled without proper hygiene. Ready-to-eat chilled products are particularly risky because they are not subjected to heat treatment.
Recent data show that cases of salmonella have increased in recent years, with dozens of deaths linked to the infection annually. Although large-scale outbreaks connected to supermarket products are rare, similar incidents have occurred before — leading to hundreds of items being pulled from shelves.
Officials advise anyone experiencing symptoms to stay at home for at least 48 hours after they have cleared, to prevent spreading the infection. And if you have the affected product at home, authorities say not to take any chances — return it as soon as possible.
