Guides
Plain-English answers to common questions about UK food recalls. Each guide cites official sources (Food Standards Agency, Food Standards Scotland, GOV.UK, NHS) and shows when it was last checked.
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How to check if your food has been recalled
A step-by-step way to check a product against a recall notice: product name, pack size, batch code and date, and where to find them on the pack.
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What to do if you have eaten recalled food
What to do after eating a recalled product, when to call NHS 111 or 999, and what to keep for reporting.
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How to get a refund for recalled food
How refunds for recalled food work at UK supermarkets, whether you need a receipt, and who to contact.
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Food recall vs withdrawal: what is the difference?
The official difference between a food withdrawal and a food recall in the UK, and what businesses must do.
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Allergy alerts, product recalls and food alerts for action explained
The three types of UK food alert, what each one means for you, and how often each is issued.
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Allergy alerts: a guide for people with food allergies
How allergy alerts work, the 14 allergens that must be declared, what "may contain" means, and how to stay informed.
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Use-by and best before dates explained
What use-by and best before dates mean, which one is about safety, and why recalls quote them.
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Why food gets recalled in the UK
The real reasons UK food is recalled, from undeclared allergens to listeria and pieces of plastic, with live figures.
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Food recalls in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
Who issues food recalls in each UK nation, how Scotland-only alerts work, and how to check which nations an alert covers.
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How to report unsafe food or a food problem
How to report unsafe food, a foreign object in food, food poisoning or missing allergen information in the UK.
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How to get food recall alerts
Free ways to hear about UK food recalls as soon as they are published: official FSA alerts, RSS feeds, browser alerts and Telegram.