Recall of ready-to-eat salad product
Tesco is recalling specific batches of its Finest Mozzarella Pearls & Pesto Orzo Salad sold in 215g packs because of the possible presence of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli, known as STEC. The action has been reported across coverage by the Daily Express, Liverpool Echo and Manchester Evening News, drawing on notices issued by the supermarket and the Food Standards Agency.
According to the supermarket’s recall notice, quoted by all three outlets, the product is being withdrawn from sale after concerns that it may contain the bacteria, which if consumed can cause illness. Tesco stated that no other products in its range are affected by the recall and apologised for any inconvenience caused.
Affected dates and customer advice
The recall covers packs carrying use-by dates of 25 August 2026, 26 August 2026 and 27 August 2026, as detailed by the Liverpool Echo and Manchester Evening News. The Daily Express reported the same calendar dates without stating the year. Customers who have bought an affected batch are instructed not to eat it. Instead they should return the product to any Tesco store for a full refund; no receipt is required.
Those seeking further information are directed to Tesco Customer Services via the contact page at tesco.com/help/contact, a detail carried by the Liverpool Echo and Manchester Evening News.
Health risks outlined by the Food Standards Agency
STEC is a group of E. coli bacteria that produce harmful Shiga toxins. The Daily Express explained that while many strains of E. coli are harmless and live naturally in the intestines, STEC strains can cause serious illness. Symptoms of infection typically appear between three and four days after exposure, though they can develop sooner or later.
In a risk statement quoted by the Daily Express, Liverpool Echo and Manchester Evening News, the Food Standards Agency listed possible symptoms as severe diarrhoea with or without blood in the stool, abdominal pain, vomiting, dehydration and, in some cases, haemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). HUS is described as a serious condition that can lead to kidney failure and can be fatal.
The agency advised that anyone experiencing these symptoms should stay away from work, school or nursery until they have been free of symptoms for at least 48 hours, in order to avoid passing the infection to others.
How food recalls work
The Daily Express noted additional context from the Food Standards Agency on the distinction between a product being withdrawn and one being recalled. A withdrawal removes an item from shelves, while a recall asks customers who have already purchased it to return the product. The agency issues Product Recall Information Notices to alert consumers and local authorities to problems associated with food.
Tesco’s notice makes clear that the current action is a full recall of the specified date codes of the mozzarella pearls and pesto orzo salad.