‘Do not eat’ warning issued for popular ice creams due to deadly risk,
Family favourite ice creams have been urgently recalled from all supermarkets over fears they could trigger severe allergic reactions.
Food firm Unilever has issued a safety notice for its Wall’s Mini Milk Vanilla, Strawberry and Chocolate Ice Cream Lollies, warning that packs fail to list key allergens in English.
The affected batches contain milk and may also include pistachio nuts, peanuts and soya — posing a serious health risk to anyone with food allergies or intolerances.
The recall applies to ten-pack boxes — (35ml per lolly) — with the following batch codes: L5123, L5126, L5127, L5128, L5129, L5141 and L5142, and a best before date of May 2027.
In a statement, safety watchdog the Food Standards Agency (FSA) said: ‘This means the product is a possible health risk for anyone with an allergy or intolerance to milk or milk constituents, and/or an allergy to nuts (pistachios), peanuts or soya.’
In severe cases, exposure to these allergens can cause anaphylaxis – a sudden, potentially fatal reaction that can lead to difficulty breathing, a drop in blood pressure, swelling of the throat and loss of consciousness.
Even a small amount of an undeclared ingredient can be enough to trigger a reaction in a highly sensitive individual.
Unilever said it was removing the product from sale and had contacted allergy support organisations to help raise awareness.
For some, even microscopic amounts of a food allergen can trigger anaphylaxis—a rapid, life-threatening allergic reaction.
Notable fatal cases in recent years have raised awareness of how devastating accidental exposure can be.
In 2016, 15-year-old Megan Lee died after ordering takeaway food that failed to disclose peanut content.
The restaurant owners were later jailed for manslaughter by gross negligence.
And in 2017, Natasha Ednan-Laperouse collapsed and died on a flight after unknowingly eating sesame in a Pret a Manger baguette.
Her death prompted new UK labelling laws — known as Natasha’s Law — mandating clearer allergy information on pre-packed foods.
While these cases involved sesame and takeaway food, experts warn that poor labelling on packaged goods — particularly imported products — remains a key risk for allergy sufferers.
Commenting on the Mini Milk recall, the FSA urged all consumers to remain vigilant: ‘Sometimes foods have to be withdrawn or recalled if there is a risk to consumers because the allergy labelling is missing or incorrect or if there is any other food allergy risk.’
The company is displaying point-of-sale notices in all stores that stocked the lollies, explaining the recall and advising affected customers not to eat them.
Instead, anyone with concerns is urged to contact the Unilever careline via ukicare@unilever.com for more information and to request a refund.
Allergy campaigners have long warned that inconsistent or unclear food labelling puts vulnerable people at risk — particularly when labels are printed in foreign languages or without required allergen declarations.
The FSA reminded shoppers that foods are often recalled or withdrawn when allergen information is missing, incorrect or misleading — even if the product itself is safe for most people.
For full details of the alert or to subscribe to food safety notifications, visit food.gov.uk/news-alerts.
