Sainsbury's has recalled two varieties of its own-brand houmous because of fears they may contain E.coli. The supermarket said 315g tubs of JS Classic Houmous with a use by date of September 13 and 200g packets of JS Lemon & Coriander Houmous dated September 14 were being recalled as a precautionary step.

The Food Standards Agency said the affected batches could contain shiga toxin-producing E.coli (Stec).

Sainsbury's apologised to customers for any inconvenience and advised them not to eat the affected products.

Houmus covered by the recall can be returned to Sainsbury's branches for a full refund.

Symptoms from the E.coli organism include diarrhoea - which can be bloody - abdominal pain and the potentially life-threatening haemolytic uremic syndrome, which can lead to kidney failure.

Virtually every week in the UK official product recalls are published on the Government website.

The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) is responsible for updating the public on products which have been pulled from shelves.

OPSS are responsible for the regulation of most consumer goods excluding food, medicines, and vehicles.

Products are recalled regularly from a number of different retailers, for various reasons.

This week Next, TK Maxx and B&Q have also recalled products.

Recalls published by the government website are for specific products that have been sold in the UK and may require you to act to receive a free replacement, repair or refund.

Products which present a serious or high risk and those which have been recalled or subject to a modification programme are published on Gov.uk.

The OPSS says its primary purpose it to "protect people and places from product-related harm, ensuring consumers and businesses can buy and sell products with confidence."

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