AN Essex-based cereal snack bar company has issued a recall on some of its products over fears they may be contaminated.

Eat Natural, which is based in Halstead, sell their cereal bars in shops all over the country and export them to 37 countries in Europe and as far afield as the Philippines.

The company's factory churned out a whopping 94 million bars last year, making around 405,000 bars each day.

Eat Natural even featured on national television four months ago after appearing on the BBC2 show 'Inside the Factory' hosted by Gregg Wallace.

However, some of the company's bars could now be contaminated with salmonella according to the Food Standards Agency.

The recall has come after reports of a small number of people becoming ill with the infection, some of whom had recently consumed an Eat Natural bar containing Brazil nuts, as well as other foods.

The infection can be potentially fatal and causes problems such as stomach cramps, vomiting, fever and diarrhoea.

Young children, the elderly and the frail are particularly vulnerable to the infection.

The company say they conducted further investigations and have found an issue with their Brazil nuts.

While there is no direct link between the cases and the Eat Natural bars, as a precaution, the company has removed the only product they make which contains Brazil Nuts - their ‘brazil & sultana with peanuts and almonds’ bar.

Thurrock Gazette: The ‘brazil & sultana with peanuts and almonds’ bar is being recalled (Source: Eat Natural)The ‘brazil & sultana with peanuts and almonds’ bar is being recalled (Source: Eat Natural)

The 35g bar and the 50g bar are the two affected by the recall as well as some multipacks where the bar is also included.

The best before dates for the affected bars are every month from August 2020 until June 2021.

The company say they are now working with the authorities, including the Food Standards Agency, and retailers to ensure the product is removed from shelves immediately.

Praveen Vijh, co-founder of Eat Natural, said: “We are working closely with the relevant authorities, retailers and with our consumers to ensure that all ‘brazil & sultana with peanuts and almonds’ bars are recalled from shelves immediately.

"Our bars are heat treated and this diminishes the likelihood of contamination, but we are taking this matter extremely seriously and taking all steps possible, even though at this stage the notification is very much a precautionary measure.

"This is an isolated incident related to some batches of Brazil nuts and does not affect any of our other bars or cereal products in any way.

"The health and safety of consumers is of utmost importance and our number one concern.”