Members, for those of you who are allergic or have an intolerance to certain food products, you might want to double-check your most recent Coles purchases.

Due to the discovery of an undeclared allergen, the supermarket giant is urgently removing stock of its own brand of tomato paste from the shelves.

Coles has removed two of its tomato paste products from store shelves, including the Coles Tomato Paste 170g and Coles Tomato Paste 500g (white label). The items were previously sold at Coles supermarkets, Coles Local, and online.

The reason for the recall is that both products were discovered to contain soy, which was not declared as an allergen on the labels.

Coles has recalled two popular food products after discovering an undeclared allergen. Credit: Coles.​

In a statement released by Coles on Tuesday morning, the company said that all products sold in Coles stores nationwide starting in July 2021 that have best-before dates within the last 12 months are subject to the recall.

Additionally, they advised customers that consuming tomato paste products could cause negative reactions if they have a soy allergy or intolerance. Therefore, anyone with a soy allergy or intolerance should avoid eating the product and instead return it to Coles for a full refund.

"Customers can return the product to any Coles supermarket for a full refund. Coles Online customers can receive a full refund or credit by contacting Coles Online Customer Care on 1800 455 400," the statement added.

"We apologise to our customers for any inconvenience. Customers seeking further information can contact Coles Customer Care on 1800 061 562."

Compared to the number of people who have more common food allergies like nuts, eggs, and milk, there are fewer people who suffer from a soy allergy. Children under the age of five are the most likely to have a soy allergy, but the good news is that these days, most of them will outgrow their allergies as they get older.

But that doesn't mean we should completely ignore any cautions on soy-containing products.

Soy allergies can cause mild to severe reactions. The following are examples of mild to moderate reactions:

• Hives or welts, swollen lips, face, or eyes
• Tingling in the mouth
• Vomiting or stomach pain

The following list includes one or more examples of severe reactions (anaphylaxis):

• Difficulty/noisy breathing
• Swelling of the tongue
• Swelling or tightness in the throat
• Difficulty talking and or hoarse voice
• Wheeze or persistent cough
• Persistent dizziness or collapse, pale and floppy (in young children)

To learn more information about soy allergy and what you can do about it, check out this video below:

Credit: healthery.​

Have you recently purchased these items, members? You might want to check your pantry. Extreme allergic reactions are nothing to take lightly and have the potential to send you to the hospital, so please be careful always!

 

[Ricci]

I suppose all stock will be destroyed which in this day and age should be criminal. Why not make a display, with clearly marked signage and sell it, maybe at a reduced price. Let the customer be the police in these instances, after all it's a minority of people that are allergic.

 

[goodmorning]

that is a good point it isn't like there is metal in it people with no allergy's can still use it.

 

[Esma Rose]

Good on you Ricci. It's good for certain people who have tolerence so why not write it up according to the the people who CAN eat it. We are too wasteful. If a few of us got together we would teach them a heck of a lot. Taking the easy way out to dump things, we'll NEVER get costs down.