Lidl has issued an urgent product recall of its Harvest Basket Hash Browns amid fears they may contain pieces of metal.

The frozen breakfast item, sold in stores across England, Scotland and Wales, is being withdrawn after the potential contamination was discovered in a specific batch.

Customers are being warned not to eat the affected product, as it could pose a choking hazard.

The supermarket said the issue affects the 750g packs of Harvest Basket Hash Browns with the batch code 5144L and a best-before date of 24 May 2027.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) confirmed the recall in an alert issued last night, stating that the product was ‘unsafe to eat’ due to the risk.

Lidl said point-of-sale notices are being displayed in stores to inform customers of the recall and explain what steps to take.

Anyone who has bought the affected product is advised to return it to their nearest Lidl store, where they will be given a full refund, even without a receipt.

In a statement, the budget retailer said: ‘Lidl GB is recalling the product due to the potential presence of foreign bodies (metal) which may present a choking hazard.

Lidl has issued an urgent product recall of its Harvest Basket Hash Browns amid fears they may contain pieces of metal

The frozen breakfast item, sold in stores across England, Scotland and Wales, is being withdrawn after the potential contamination was discovered in a specific batch

‘If you have bought the above product we advise you not to eat it.

Speaking to The Sun, it added: ‘Customers are asked to return this product to the nearest store where a full refund will be issued.’  

The recall applies only to the affected batch and no other Lidl products are known to be impacted.

Customers seeking further information are being urged to contact Lidl’s customer care team by emailing customer.care@lidl.co.uk or calling 0203 966 5566.

The FSA regularly issues product recall notices when there is a risk to consumer safety. 

In some cases, these are accompanied by Food Alerts for Action, which ask local authorities to intervene.

Consumers are encouraged to check the packaging of any frozen hash browns they have purchased recently to ensure they do not have the affected batch.

The news comes just a day after the the FSA issued an urgent recall for several popular Jolly Rancher sweet products over fears they contain a banned ingredients linked to cancer.

Customers are being warned not to eat the affected product, as it could pose a choking hazard or cause internal injury

Those who’ve already eaten them should not panic, watchdog said, as the risk is low, but urged customers to disposed of them.

These include Hard Candy, ‘Misfits’ Gummies, Hard Candy Fruity 2 in 1, and Berry Gummies, all made by Hershey.

The sweets were found to contain the harmful chemicals Mineral Oil Aromatic Hydrocarbons (MOAH) and Mineral Oil Saturated Hydrocarbon (MOSH).

These chemicals, derived from crude oil, have been linked to serious illnesses including cancer, particularly in the liver and lymph nodes.

This makes the sweets unsafe to eat, particularly over long periods of time, and not compliant with UK law.

American multi-national firm Hershey told UK regulators it has already taken action to remove the affected brands from the British market.

But the FSA warned that some businesses are still selling Jolly Rancher products containing the banned additive, and have urged authorities to remove them from shelves.