Gima UK has withdrawn various branded dried fruit products because they contain sulphites which are not mentioned on the label.
The company has withdrawn all batch and date codes, up to and including the 'best before' date 14 January 2014.
Some people with asthma are sensitive to sulphites and relatively small amounts may trigger an asthma attack.
Customer notices have been displayed in stores, alerting customers to the withdrawal.
The company has said it will contact the relevant allergy support organisations which will inform their at-risk members of the withdrawal.
Sometimes there will be a problem with a food product that means it should not be sold. Then it might be 'withdrawn' (taken off the shelves) or 'recalled' (when customers are asked to return the product). Sometimes foods have to be withdrawn or recalled if there is a risk to consumers because the allergy labelling is missing or incorrect or if there is any other food allergy risk.
Sulphites are used as preservatives in a wide range of foods, in particular soft drinks, sausages, burgers, and dried fruit and vegetables.
These additives maintain food colour and prolong shelf-life by preventing the growth of micro-organisms.
When the gas sulphur dioxide is dissolved in a liquid, such as wine, it is known as sulphites.
Sulphur dioxide is produced naturally when wine and beer are made and it is often added to wine to stop it from continuing to ferment in the bottle. Usually, most of the ‘head space’ in a bottle of wine (the part of the bottle not filled with wine) is sulphur dioxide.
Some people who have asthma may react to inhaling sulphur dioxide. A very few people with asthma have had an attack after drinking acidic drinks (such as fruit-based drinks) containing sulphites, but this is not thought to be very common.
