No trace presence of Clostridium botulinum has been found in product tested, however the batches of smoked trout are being recalled as a precaution.
The affected batches will no longer be on sale as the use by dates are between 30 May 2014 and 1 September 2014. Waitrose has been confirmed as one of the outlets that sells Inverawe Smoked Trout 100g in a number of its shops and is communicating to its customers. The FSA is in the process of investigating wider distribution. The mail order products are not affected.*
*This paragraph has been updated to include additional distribution details.
If you have bought the product
Although none of these products will be on sale, there is a possibility that some consumers may have frozen the product at home and still have it in their freezers. The instructions for home freezing on the product labelling allow for storage of up to 3 months.
Consumers are advised not to consume these products. Instead, the product should be returned to the store where it was purchased from or disposed of.
About product recalls and withdrawals
If there is a problem with a food product that means it should not be sold, then it might be 'withdrawn' (taken off the shelves) or 'recalled' (when customers are asked to return the product). The FSA issues Product Withdrawal Information Notices and Product Recall Information Notices to let consumers and local authorities know about problems associated with food. In some cases, a 'Food Alert for Action' is issued. This provides local authorities with details of specific action to be taken on behalf of consumers.