CHOCOLATE bars at Lidl have been urgently recalled over fears they contain plastic.
Fin Carre White Chocolate has been taken off shelves at the supermarket and people who bought it are being advised “not to eat it”, according to the Food Standards Agency.
2
The sweet treat has been affected by a “potential presence of foreign bodies (plastic) which may present a choking hazard”, officials said.
An FSA spokesperson said: “Lidl GB is recalling Fin Carré White Chocolate because it may contain pieces of plastic.
“The possible presence of plastic makes this product unsafe to eat.”
All Fin Carre White Chocolate with a best before date of October 16, 2024, should be returned to stores, the agency added.
Lidl apologised for the inconvenience and said a full refund will be given at your closest supermarket.
An FSA spokesperson said: “If you have bought the above product do not eat it.
“Instead, return it to the store from where it was bought for a full refund.
“Any customers with queries or concerns can contact Lidl Customer Services on 0203 966 5566 or customer.care@lidl.co.uk.”
Swallowing sharp objects like plastic can injure your teeth, mouth and food pipe, and is a choking risk, particularly for young children.
If fragments make it further into the body, this can puncture the intestines and cause internal bleeding in severe cases.
Choking happens when someone’s airway suddenly gets blocked, either fully or partly.
Around 276 Brits died from choking in 2021, according to the Office For National Statistics.
The number of people dying from choking on objects other than food more than doubled in the two years up to 2021 compared to the previous two years.
What to do if someone is choking
Mild choking
If the airway is only partly blocked, the person will usually be able to speak, cry, cough or breathe, and may be able to clear the blockage themselves.
In adults:
- Encourage them to keep coughing
- Ask them to try to spit out the object
- Don’t put your fingers in their mouth
- If coughing doesn’t work, start back blows
In children:
- If you can see the object, try to remove it (but don’t poke blindly)
- Encouraging coughing
- Shout for help if coughing isn’t effective or the child is silent
- Use back blows if the child is still conscious but not coughing
Severe choking
In adults:
Where choking is severe, the person won’t be able to speak, cry, cough or breathe.
Without help, they’ll eventually become unconscious, so you should carry out back blows.
In children:
Back blows can be carried out on children under one year.
If this doesn’t work, chest thrusts can be started on kids up to 12 months old, and abdominal thrusts on those over one year.
Call 999 if the blockage doesn’t come out after trying back blows and either chest or abdominal thrusts.
Keep trying this cycle until help arrives.
Even if the object has come out, get medical help. Part of the object might have been left behind, or the patient might have been hurt by the procedure.
Source: NHS