Reports confirm that major supermarkets including Asda, Lidl, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose have discovered problems with some food items they sell which could mean a health risk for consumers. Customers are being asked to return these items to the stores for a full refund, said sources familiar with the matter.

The recalled products include the Sensations Thai Sweet Chilli Potato Crisps product from Walkers, which could be cause health problems for people allergic to wheat. Though the ingredient is listed on the packet’s backside, the fact that it is an allergen has not been highlighted in bold.

Sources said the affected batches of the crisps are the 40 gram packs and the £1 73 gram packs. The best-before dates of these packs are before, and including, 29/01/2019 but packs with 02/02/2019 best before date are not affected.

Slimfast’s Advanced Vitality Strawberry and Blueberry Burst, a vegan meal replacement shake, is also under recall owing to an undeclared milk protein apparently used in it. The 450 gram meal replacement power shake packs are the affected ones.

Further, due to missing or incorrect use-by dates on their labels, Lidl is recalling three types of Warren & Sons Pâté so that unknowingly consumers do no eat any item beyond their safe use-by dates. These include the 175 gram packs of Warren & Sons Ardennes Pâté, Brussels Pâté and Reduced Fat Brussels Pâté, with a use-by date of Dec 25, 2019 or showing no date at all.

The chilled and frozen versions of Clive's Bombay Vegetables with Daal Tart are also recalled because they contain sesame and mustard, which are not declared on the label. This could make the product a health risk for people having sesame or mustard allergies, the sources added.

Another product to be recalled is Gardiners of Scotland Macaron Bars because its box lists E322 as an allergen in bold but does not identify it as soya. It is a health risk for people with soya allergy but safe to be consumed by anyone not allergic to it.