Tesco has announced a recall of its gluten-free white breadcrumbs due to wheat contamination concerns.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) released an alert today, warning that the product, which is part of Tesco’s “Free From” collection, could pose a health risk for individuals with wheat allergies or coeliac disease.

The FSA explained, “Tesco is recalling its Free From Breadcrumbs because they contain wheat (gluten) which is not listed on the packaging.”

“This oversight presents a potential health hazard for those with wheat or gluten allergies or intolerance, as well as individuals with coeliac disease,” the agency added.

Consumers who are affected by these conditions are advised not to consume the product and to return it to any Tesco store for a complete refund, which does not require a receipt.

Though all batches of the £1.30 breadcrumbs are affected, other items in Tesco’s Free From range are reportedly safe to consume.

Tesco launched its Free From range in 2003. It is aimed at people with dietary restrictions, including vegans, people with egg allergies, and gluten intolerance—as well as life-threatening conditions such as coeliac disease. 

Coeliac disease is a genetic autoimmune disorder where the ingestion of gluten leads to damage in the small intestine.

Tesco launched its Free From range in 2003

These attacks damage the villi, the small finger-like projections that line the small intestine that promote nutrient absorption.

It is estimated to affect one in 100 people worldwide.

Coeliac UK estimate that approximately 1 in 100 people in the UK have coeliac disease, which is about one million people.

However, only about 36 per cent have been formally diagnosed, meaning an estimated 500,000 to 600,000 people are unaware that they have the condition. 

There are more than 200 symptoms of coeliac disease but the most common ones—which are triggered by ingesting wheat or gluten—are abdominal bloating and pain, chronic diarrhoea or constipation, vomiting, and passing pale, foul-smelling, or fatty stools. It can also cause weight loss and fatigue. 

The disease is incurable, and the only treatment is adhering to a strict, gluten-free diet.

Studies show that the average patient takes 13 years to be diagnosed, as the signs are often subtle and can easily be mistaken for other, less serious problems like irritable bowel syndrome.

If left untreated, the condition poses potentially life-threatening complications.

A product recall has been issued for Tesco’s Free From breadcrumbs

The item is no longer for sale online or in stores 

At the milder end of the scale, the illness causes the digestive system to absorb nutrients poorly, leading to severe vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

Long term, the condition can trigger osteoporosis — a condition where the bones become brittle and weak, as a result of failure to absorb calcium.

Some become malnourished, dramatically increasing the risk of contracting potentially deadly infections.

Those with untreated coeliac disease are also more likely to develop lactose intolerance — where the body lacks the enzyme needed to digest the natural sugar (lactose) found in dairy products.

Lactose intolerance triggers unpleasant symptoms such as bloating, diarrhoea and stomach pain.

Most alarmingly, studies suggest that those with coeliac disease are more than twice as likely to develop some types of deadly cancers than those without the condition.

Bowel cancer and Hodgkin lymphoma blood cancer are both more common in those with coeliac disease.

However, following a gluten free diet dramatically reduces this risk.