Waitrose is urgently recalling one of its popular ready meals after it emerged that some packs had been mispacked and contain undeclared allergens.
The Waitrose Indian Takeaway for 2 has been pulled from shelves because ‘some packs have been mispacked with spring rolls, which contain sesame and soya not mentioned on the label.’
According to the Food Standards Agency (FSA), ‘this means the product is a possible health risk for anyone with an allergy to sesame and/or soya.’
The affected product is the Waitrose Indian Takeaway for 2 (1,412g pack size) with a use by date of 25 July 2025.
Sesame allergies can be life-threatening. In 2016, 15-year-old Natasha Ednan-Laperouse collapsed and died after eating a baguette from Pret a Manger that contained sesame seeds not listed on the label.
Her death triggered a major overhaul in food labelling laws.
So-called Natasha’s Law, introduced in 2021, requires all pre-packed for direct sale foods to carry full ingredient lists and allergen information on the label.
Customers who have purchased the item are advised: ‘If you have bought the above product and have an allergy to sesame and/or soya, do not eat it. Instead, return it to your local Waitrose and Partners branch for a full refund.
Alongside the recall, Waitrose and Partners has been advised to contact the relevant allergy support organisations, which will tell their members about the incident.
‘The company has also issued a recall notice to its customers, which explains to customers why the product is being recalled and tells them what to do if they have bought the product,’ the FSA alert stated.
For more information, shoppers are being advised to contact Waitrose Customer Care on 0800 188 884, option 4.
The FSA added: ‘Sometimes foods have to be withdrawn or recalled if there is a risk to consumers because the allergy labelling is missing or incorrect or if there is any other food allergy risk.
‘When there is a food allergy risk, the FSA will issue an Allergy Alert.’
Sesame allergy is one of the most common and potentially severe food allergies, especially in children.
Just trace amounts can trigger symptoms ranging from hives and vomiting to anaphylaxis—a life-threatening reaction that can cause the throat to swell and breathing to stop.
Unlike nuts or dairy, sesame wasn’t historically required to be clearly listed on food labels, leading to several high-profile incidents and calls for tighter labelling rules.
Notable fatal cases in recent years have raised awareness of how devastating accidental exposure can be.
Prior to the tragic death of Ms Ednan-Laperouse, 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.
While these cases involved takeaway food, experts warn that poor labelling on ready meals and other packaged foods remains a key risk for allergy sufferers.
