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How to check if your food has been recalled

Last reviewed 5 October 2026 against the sources listed below.

A recall notice describes exactly which packs are affected. Usually only some packs are: one pack size, certain batch codes or certain dates. To know whether yours is one of them, compare four details.

1. Find the recall

Search by product name, brand, supermarket or the batch code printed on your pack:

No match is not a safety guarantee: names on packs can differ from notices. Try the brand alone, or browse the latest recalls.

2. Compare the four details

  1. Product name. Including the variety, such as "Piri Piri Chicken" rather than another flavour.
  2. Pack size. A recall often covers one size only (e.g. 90g but not the multipack).
  3. Batch code or lot number. A short code of letters and numbers, e.g. L6232PB796. Match it character by character.
  4. Use-by or best before date. Notices list specific dates, a range ("up to and including 13 December 2025"), or say "all dates".

If every detail matches, your pack is affected. Follow the advice on the recall page. If the notice says "all dates" or "all batch codes", every pack of that product and size is affected.

3. Where to find the codes on the pack

Recall notices often say where the codes are printed. Across the 10 notices that do, the most common places are:

  • the lid or top2
  • the base or bottom1

The date is usually printed next to the batch code. On cans and jars it is often on the base or the lid; on bottles, the neck or shoulder.

4. Check the freezer and cupboards

Recalls can cover food you bought weeks ago. Frozen and long-life food can be affected long after the recall date, so check freezers and cupboards as well as the fridge.

If your pack matches

Do what the notice says. Usually that means don't eat it, and return it for a refund (see refunds for recalled food). For allergy alerts, the advice applies only to people with the allergy named in the notice.

Sources

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