Three of the UK’s largest food retailers, Asda, Morrisons and The Co-operative Group, have been forced to recall batches of cheese due to safety concerns.

Several batches of own-brand mild cheddar and red leicester have been recalled after it was found they might contain “small pieces of metal”, the Food Standards Agency said this week.

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All products were withdrawn from sale on 11 December. All have best-before and use-by dates stretching into January and February and the three retailers have been forced to place notices in stores to alert consumers who might have already purchased the cheeses.

A spokesperson for Morrisons played down the issue when contacted by just-food. “It’s only certain use-by dates that have been affected. We’ve had no complaints,” she said. The retailer declined to say how much cheese it has recalled.

For a full list of batches affected, click here.

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