Allergy alerts, product recalls and food alerts for action explained
Last reviewed 5 October 2026 against the sources listed below.
UK food alerts come in three types. Each recall page on this site is labelled with its type. Since 2018 there have been 1,242 in total, 136 in the last 12 months.
Allergy alert Allergy alerts
Issued when food contains an allergen that is missing from the label or labelled wrongly, for example milk in a product that doesn't list it. They matter only if you, or someone you buy food for, has that allergy or intolerance. The food is not unsafe for everyone. There have been 706 since 2018, the most common type. See the allergy alerts guide.
Product recall Product recalls
Formally "Product Recall Information Notices". Issued when food is unsafe for anyone, for example because of bacteria such as listeria or salmonella, pieces of plastic or metal, or a wrong use-by date. There have been 526 since 2018. The advice is usually not to eat the product and to return it for a refund.
Food alert for action Food alerts for action
Issued to local authorities when they need to take specific action, often because the problem is serious or the food went through many businesses. They are rare (10 since 2018) and often include advice for consumers too.
Updates
Any alert can be updated, for example to add products or batch codes. On this site, updates are merged into the original recall page, with a timeline of what changed.