Nestle has done everything possible to warn people of the health hazard by issuing public notices and withdrawing the product from sale but in view of the potential seriousness for anyone who is allergic to nuts the Department of Health has reinforced the company's action by issuing a Category B Food Hazard Warning to environmental health officers.
The Food Hazard Warning, which includes Nestle's press notice, is as follows:
NESTLE LYONS MAID "NEW" CASCADE TOFFEE ICE CREAM DESSERT (550ml)
Chief Environmental Health Officers will be aware that Nestle has this morning issued a product safety notice in the national press concerning a specific batch of the above product, due to contamination with hazelnuts. Full details are contained in the company's press release which reads as follows:
NUT ALLERGY PRODUCT SAFETY NOTICE
Nestle Lyons Maid "New" Cascade Toffee Ice Cream Dessert (550 ml)
Due to a fault in the production process, this product contains small pieces of hazelnuts that are not mentioned on the packaging. These packs bear the following quality code on the 'Best Before End' panel: MAR/2000 L-8 272
If you are one of the very few people who experience an allergic reaction to hazelnuts then DO NOT EAT THIS PRODUCT. Please dispose of the product. For a full refund, customers are asked to cut out and send the end panel containing the above code to:
Lyons Maid Cascade Ice Cream Recall , PO Box 205, York YO91 1XY
If you are not allergic to hazelnuts, you can continue to enjoy this product. This notice applies only to the above product; no other Nestle Lyons Maid Cascade Ice Cream products are affected.
Customers wanting more information can telephone: Freephone 0800 262491 (08.00 to 18.00).
Nestle Ice Cream would like to apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.
Action to be taken by local authorities:
This product has been widely distributed throughout the United Kingdom but only to corner shops, garage forecourts, newsagents and other small retailers. Owing to the serious nature of an acute generalised allergic reaction to nuts, which may be experienced by a small group of sensitive individuals and the widespread presence of hazelnut in the implicated product, Nestle Ice Cream is urgently contacting all these outlets to ask them to immediately withdraw the product from sale and safely dispose of it. In addition to national publicity undertaken by the Company and the Department of Health, Chief Environmental Health Officers are asked to inform the local media and to carry out random checks to ensure that the product is removed from local outlets and destroyed. Local authorities who may require further information are asked to contact Nestle Ice Cream on Freephone 0800 262491.
It is expected that action by local authorities will be initiated as soon as possible after receipt of this food hazard warning.