UK shoppers have been urged to return a sweet breakfast staple sold in supermarkets over fears they're unsafe to eat.
Batches of chocolate-filled croissants – known as pain au chocolat – made by St Pierre are being recalled 'due to the possible presence of mould'.
With packs of six being sold at Sainsbury's, ASDA and Ocado for £2, Brits who've bought them have been warned to avoid indulging in the sweet treat and return them for a refund.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) issued an alert last week, warning shoppers to check the Best Before dates on their St Pierre Pains Au Chocolat.
It said products with one of the following Before Dates could contain mould and are unsafe to eat:
- 17 September 2023
- 25 September 2023
- 1 October 2023
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The food safety watchdog also urged shoppers to check the use-by dates of any St Pierre chocolate croissants in their freezer, as these also had the potential to make them ill.
"The possible presence of mould may make the product unsafe to eat," the FSA wrote in its notice.
"If you have bought any of the above product do not eat it. Instead, return it to your nearest store for a full refund," it went on, adding that customers would not need a receipt to do so.
It's normal to, at some point or other, find mould on food that you'd forgotten at the back of your fridge or cupboard.
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Food safety experts tend to urge that you throw your mildewed bread or fruit away rather than try and perform surgery on the bits growing green spores.
Food mould is microscopic fungi that reproduce by releasing spores into the air.
When these fall onto food that's starting to turn, they can start to multiply.
Eating fuzzy food can make you ill, even if you've cut off the offending blue-tinged parts.
While not everyone will suffer, it can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and other unpleasant gastro symptoms.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service of the US Department of Agriculture also says: "Some moulds cause allergic reactions and respiratory problems.
"And a few moulds, in the right conditions, produce 'mycotoxins', poisonous substances that can make you sick."
Those at increased risk of falling ill from mouldy food include elderly people, children, pregnant women and those with weakened immune systems, experts said.
The FSA warned that mycotoxins can cause a variety of adverse health effects including cancer, kidney and liver damage, gastrointestinal disturbances, reproductive disorders or suppression of the immune system.
Experts have previously warned that mould can also cause a host of other health problems, some of them bizarre.
This includes shrinking testicles due to the hormonal issues mould can create.
In women, low testosterone levels can also trigger weight gain, according Pharmacist Abbas Kanani, an expert from Chemist Click.
The FSA issues alerts if there is a problem with a food product that means it should not be sold – such as contamination or incorrect use by dates.
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This often means the item is pulled from the shelves, or "recalled" in more serious cases.
Customers must then return the product to the point of purchase to get their money back.
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