AS Brits rush to fill their fridges and stock their shelves for the big day, supermarkets have issued urgent recalls.
To avoid having a dodgy tummy on Christmas Day or stockings full of broken toys, we’ve done a round-up of faulty products from the big stores.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is responsible for recalling goods for a variety of reasons, including undisclosed allergens or the discovery of non-edible materials in the products.
Generally getting a refund is simple and doesn’t often require a receipt.
In Tesco, several Christmas dinner favourites have been recalled.
A 125g pack of 10 Cooked Beef Slices which have the wrong use by date was the first to be listed.
It was marked as January 24, rather than December 24 due to a labelling error.
They are also continuing to recall their 300g pack of Red Cabbage and Apple due to incorrect labelling.
The festive mix should have had a use by date of December 11, when instead it says December 29.
Customers can get a full refund on their recalled items.
A tube of 75g crushed garlic is being recalled after an ingredient was missed during the manufacturing process.
The forgotten ingredient stops bacteria from growing in the product.
The tube in question has a use by date of October 19 2025.
It’s bad news for vegetarians after Aldi recalled their Let’s Party Vegetable Bao Buns after duck meat wasn’t listed in the ingredients.
It also contains sesame, which was also unlisted, and poses a large threat to those with allergies.
In Ireland, Dunnes stores are urgently recalling nearly a dozen cheeses over fears of Listeria monocytogenes contamination.
The affected products are:
The Food Standards Agency stated: “The possible presence of Listeria monocytogenes in the products listed above.
“Symptoms caused by this organism can be similar to flu and include high temperature, muscle ache or pain, chills, feeling or being sick and diarrhoea.
“However, in rare cases, the infection can be more severe, causing serious complications, such as meningitis.
Here is the full list of recalled items from the main supermarket shops
Tesco:
Morrisons:
Aldi:
Dunnes:
Waitrose:
Some people are more vulnerable to listeria infections, including those over 65 years of age, pregnant women and their unborn babies, babies less than one month old and people with weakened immune systems.
If you have bought the above products do not eat them. Instead, return them to the store from where they were bought for a full refund.”
The luxury supermarket has asked customers to return ZOE’s Daily 30+ 7 Day supplements.
The product, which promises to help add more than 30 extra plants into the user’s weekly diet, was found to have hidden nasties.
The store revealed that the product may contain small stones and pieces of metal.
A 90s popstar has been spotted looking incredible in a black bikini at 50 as she enjoyed a festive getaway to Barbados.
The star was pictured strolling across the sand in the swimwear, while showing off her age-defying figure in the sun.
It’s lead singer of pop rock group The Corrs, Andrea Corr, and the musician looks like she hasn’t aged a day.
The stunning star looked at ease as she donned large shades and her hair down while enjoying her stay at the Sandy Lane Hotel.
The 50-year-old was joined by her son Brett Desmond Jr for their beach excursion, and she later threw on a beach dress after retreating back to the shore.
A trip to Barbados is clearly a tradition for the Irish songstress, who was spotted popping for a dip there this time last year too, in a white bikini.
The Corrs were the catchy pop band that got us all dancing like mad to violins and tin whistles in the nineties.
Almost three decades later Irish siblings Andrea, Caroline, Sharon and Jim Corr have barely aged at all.
The group performed at British SummerTime festival in July and were on the bill before country superstar Shania Twain.
But it was Andrea and her sisters who sent the crowd wild with hit after hit.
Frontwoman Andrea looked sensational in a black boob tube dress featuring red flowers, which she teamed with black tights and Dr Marten boots.
The star twirled and skipped across the Great Oak stage as if 29 years since their breakout song, Runaway, hadn’t passed.
The Corrs released their first album Forgiven, Not Forgotten in 1995 and it went on to sell more than 3million copies in the UK alone.
They’ve since shifted a whopping 40m records worldwide.
The stars took a hiatus from the music business in 2005 as they decided to focus their energy on their families.
The Irish Sun first revealed in April 2015 that the Co Louth band were getting back together to perform and record together for the first time since 2005 – ahead of a string of sold-out gigs.
MICHAEL OWEN told Aston Villa fans to “hang your heads in shame” after booing former star Jack Grealish.
The England star was on the receiving end of a 2-1 defeat as he returned to Villa Park with Manchester City on Saturday.
Grealish used to be a cult hero at Villa after joining them as a six-year old.
He clocked up 213 games for the Midlands club and played a key role in their Premier League return five years ago.
But it seemed home supporters were yet to forgive Grealish for his £100million switch to City in 2021.
The midfielder was routinely booed and jeered every time he touched the ball on Saturday.
Grealish was also involved in several fiery encounters with Villa stars like Matty Cash and Emi Martinez.
And at the end of the game, he flashed three fingers towards irate fans in a jibe over his three Premier League titles at the Etihad.
Now, ex-Liverpool and Man United star Owen has come to Grealish’s defence.
He believes Villa fans should be ashamed of their behaviour towards their former hero.
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And Owen admits his “blood boiled” hearing the endless taunts and jibes towards a player who arguably made Villa what they are today.
He wrote on social media: “I often hear or see things in football that makes my blood boil. Most people will probably feel the same at some point or other.
“I guess that’s quite natural when you care passionately about something, or in my case, when it’s something that has consumed your entire life.
“There will always be kind, honest, generous, respectful, caring people in all walks of life just as there will always be nasty, jealous, spiteful, bitter people too.
“Your job or where you’re from doesn’t necessarily make you fall into a certain category. But to those Villa fans who booed Jack Grealish yesterday, you fall into the second category and should hang your heads in shame.”
Owen continued: “Here is a lad that came through YOUR academy. Supported The Villa all his life and no doubt still does.
“He single-handedly dragged YOUR team back into the Premier League when you were bang average at best.
“He kept you up and in hindsight, showed you ten times more loyalty than you are now showing him. He was hardly ever injured and delivered Man Of The Match performances on a regular basis.
“He cost you nothing, gave you incredible service and made YOUR club over £100m when he left.
“In Jack’s case he is and always will be very proud of where he comes from and so it must be heartbreaking for him to have to endure the mindless and pathetic booing that he had to listen to yesterday.”
OVER the festive period, it’s natural to overindulge, while letting your exercise routine slip a bit.
And while it’s to be encouraged, it’s worth bearing in mind that it might spark a few changes – especially in the gut department.
Most changes to your poo over Christmas will get better by themselves within a couple of weeks when your diet and lifestyle reverts to normal.
But certain changes in bowel habits that last three weeks or longer could be pointing to something wrong with your health.
Dr Deborah Lee, of Dr Fox Online Pharmacy, shared with Sun Health some of the important changes to look out for.
Firstly, drinking less water and eating less fruit and veg over the Christmas period means constipation is more likely, with hard pellet-like stools.
And the consumption of high-fat foods – think rich desserts and pigs in blankets – can cause diarrhoea as eating excess fat slows gastric emptying.
Undigested fat is broken down in the large bowel, which draws water into the colon giving rise to a bout of the runs.
Dr Lee added: “High-sugar foods and some artificial sweeteners can also cause diarrhoea.
“A high sugar content in the gut alters intestinal permeability and causes unfavourable changes to the gut microbiome.
“Alcohol causes inflammation in the intestinal walls.
“This means food hurries along faster than it should and there is not enough time for water to be reabsorbed, leading to more frequent, loose bowel motions.”
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is another condition known to flare up over the festive season.
High-fat foods, spicy foods, alcohol, caffeine and fizzy drinks can all trigger unpleasant symptoms, including bloating, tummy pain and constipation or diarrhoea, said Dr Lee.
And the Christmas period is also high-risk for food poisoning, which can cause bowel issues.
Many factors affect your bowel habits, including getting enough exercise and sleep
Dr Deborah Lee
Dr Lee explained: “Salmonella, E.coli and campylobacter are all common culprits.
“This is a time when the fridge is often bulging with food, and family members may have brought along a contribution.
“It may not be possible to keep meat and vegetables on separate shelves in the fridge and food can easily become contaminated.
“There’s also always a risk of food poisoning when reheating turkey and other meats.
“It can be hard to keep the kitchen work tops and preparation areas and utensils as clean as you would like.
“Food poisoning causes stomach ache, cramps, diarrhoea, and fever.
“The poo may be watery and green, and may have blood in them.”
For constipation, Dr Lee recommends drinking more water and adding more fibre into your diet.
She explained: “Fibre bulks out the intestinal contents, putting pressure on the intestinal walls and stimulating peristalsis, the muscular contractions of the intestines that propel the partly digested food along it.
“High-fibre foods are all fruit and veg, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds.
“Many other factors affect your bowel habits, including getting enough exercise and sleep.”
Diarrhoea suggests something is wrong with your diet, for example, a high-fat or high-sugar diet, or excess alcohol.
Dr Lee advised: “In the short term this will settle when you go back to eating normally.
“For good gut health we need a balanced diet with the right combination of protein, fat and carbohydrate.”
Most changes to your poo over Christmas are nothing to worry about, and will ease up as you get back to normal.
But Dr Lee said you should be concerned if you notice the following three changes:
1. Blood in your poo
You should never see blood in your poo.
It can occur from piles (haemorrhoids), which are often harmless, but you should never assume this is the case unless it’s been properly assessed and diagnosed by a doctor.
Blood in the poo can be a sign of bowel cancer.
2. Black poo
Poo should not be black either. This suggests bleeding higher up in the gastrointestinal tract as black blood is old blood – called melaena.
This can be a side effect of taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen, which can cause stomach and duodenal ulceration, oesophageal varices or cancers of the upper GI tract.
Note that taking iron tablets can also make your stools black.
However, if you have black poo, see your GP promptly.
3. Pale poo
Pale, putty-coloured, smelly, loose poo is called steatorrhea.
This means you’re not digesting fat properly and can be a sign of pancreatic cancer or liver disease.
If this happens for more than a couple of days, or keeps coming back, see your GP without delay.
Most cases of diarrhoea stop within five to seven days.
NICE recommends that you see your GP if you have a change of bowel habit that lasts three weeks or longer.
Dr Lee said: “If it persists after seven days, call NHS 111.
“If you are acutely unwell with diarrhoea and vomiting, and have signs of dehydration – dry mouth, dry skin, high temperature, not passing urine or passing dark coloured urine – contact your GP, call 999 or get to A&E.”
If you have severe constipation which is making you distressed, ask your pharmacist for advice about laxatives that can soften and help you pass a hard stool, said Dr Lee.
She added: “If you’re impacted, you’ll need a suppository or an enema. Contact your GP or ring NHS 111.
“In general, eating a balanced diet, low in refined sugars, containing healthy unsaturated fats (plant fats such as olive oil), getting your five a day of fruit and vegetables (as these contain that all-important dietary fibre), and drinking at least two litres of water a day, is the best way to have a healthy bowel habit.”
AT medical school, Dr Lee was taught that a healthy poo is twice round the pan and pointed at both ends...
The 1997 Bristol Stool Chart uses pictures to interpret the type of stool and how it relates to your diet and health.
Although there are seven stool types, numbers 3 (a sausage shaped with a few cracks on the surface) and 4 (smooth and snake-like) are the easiest stools to pass and signify your gut health is normal.
Dr Fox said: “Poo should be brown in colour, smell pretty bad but no worse than it normally does, and sink in the toilet, not float.
“There’s a wide range in how often a person should poo – some people poo three times a day and others three times a week.
“The important thing to notice is if your own poo frequency changes and becomes more or less frequent.”
GARY Anderson, currently ranked No. 14 in the world, is one of the most successful darts players in the history of the game.
Here we get to know “The Flying Scotsman” — who has amassed an impressive fortune after learning to handle the pressure of hostile crowds while running his pub.
Gary Anderson was born in Musselburgh, East Lothian, Scotland on December 22, 1970.
Although he has established himself as one of the top darts players in the sport‘s history, before turning pro he used to be a pub landlord.
Gary used to run the Wellington Arms in Rooksbridge, Somerset, now he’s a two-time PDC World Champion.
He even believes his days playing in the pub helped prepare him for his future successes, particularly in dealing with intimidating atmospheres in venues like Ally Pally.
Gary told the Publican’s Morning Advertiser: “I learnt to play at the pub, that’s where the darts board was.
“It starts in the pub leagues and then through the Super League, international and eventually, for those who are brave enough, into the PDC (Professional Darts Corporation).
“And you’ve still got the heckling in the pubs. In a town with two teams that are rivals, it gets interesting — it’s all fun and games!”
Gary was known as “Dreamboy” during his earlier career in the British Darts Organisation (BDO).
However, he has since expressed his disdain for this nickname.
He stated that he never liked it and felt it became a “nightmare” for him over time.
In 2009, after moving to the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC), he officially dropped Dreamboy in favour of “The Flying Scotsman”.
The modified moniker marked a significant turning point in his career.
But he explained that while he prefers the new alias, it’s far more costly to print on his shirts.
Gary said at the time: “I don’t know how I got the Dreamboy name but I always hated it.
“I think it was given to me when I was a lot younger and perhaps better looking. But I just never liked it.
“The Flying Scotsman is not bad, it underlines my patriotism for my country, but it’s going to cost me a fortune in lettering on the back of my shirts.
“I might even have to pile on the weight so I’m a XXXXL so we can get the entire nickname across my back!
“There’s no doubt I’ll get all the puns to go with it. I haven’t been given a new walk-on theme yet, I guess that might even be the Thomas The Tank Engine tune.
“But seriously I’m not a man for nicknames and stuff like that. I just get up there and play my darts and I’m trying to focus as best I can on that right now.”
The walk-on banger he referred to is Jump Around by House of Pain, which he still enters the arena to.
Gary is quite rightly celebrated for his back-to-back World Championship victories, cementing his status as a legend of the game.
Throughout his career, he has amassed numerous titles, including the Premier League, World Matchplay, UK Open and Champions League of Darts.
During his time in the BDO, Gary won four major titles — the Gold Cup and British Classic in 2006, the British Open in 2007, and the International Grand Prix in 2008.
Anderson has won eight PDC majors including:
Known for his smooth throwing style and ability to score heavily, Gary is a formidable competitor on the international stage.
Throughout his career, he’s hit three televised nine-dart finishes and broken numerous scoring records.
His record includes a total of 19 televised titles, as well as 36 non-televised titles.
According to Bet365, Gary‘s net worth is a whopping £4.5million.
His two world titles reportedly amount to 10% of that total figure.
He has collected £440,500 in prize money from the last two years’ ranking tournaments.
A MAN has revealed how he makes £850 a day after transforming a Boeing 727 “once owned by Pablo Escobar” into an ultimate Airbnb with a hot tub and a sauna.
Johnny Palmer, founder of PYTCH, bought the 57-year-old aircraft in mid-2020 after it had been scrapped but its fuselage preserved.
Now, after turning it into an Airbnb, the entrepreneur makes up to £850 a day when the property is rented out.
He said: “Some people have been saying it’s the most expensive accommodation in Bristol.
“It goes up to £850 for Christmas Day which is bloody expensive for four people.”
Johnny said while some stay over at the property, others will just use it for a party and go home at the end of the night.
The kitted out 727 comes with a sauna and a hot tub as well as space for four guests and a full kitchen.
Johnny added that the transformed aircraft is very popular both with visitors and locals.
The businessman said: “It’s got a lot of support.
“People in the area like it because it makes a s****y industrial estate quite an interesting part of town.”
The property is available for hire on Christmas day and comes with “a bit of Christmas décor” alongside a few Santa hats.
“People can have a Christmas dinner in a billionaire’s private jet, 32 feet from the ground,” he said.
“With the cost of living crisis, you might not be able to afford getting away but you can stay on a private jet and have your Christmas dinner in the air.”
The entrepreneur also touched on the jet’s lengthy history of service, including rumours it was owned by Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar.
First owned by Japan Airlines in passenger service from 1967 to 1975, the 727 was then converted into a VIP private aircraft.
Johnny said: “I’ve heard rumours that Pablo Escobar might have owned it for a while.
“It’s all Cayman Islands registered so you don’t know who you’re dealing with.
“Someone said it was used as a dark flight to move some prisoners round in the 80s somewhere.”
The aircraft also now has an interactive light show, combined with the sound of the plane taking off, for guests to experience.
It took its final flight in 2012 to Filton Airfield in Bristol before it was transported by road to Kemble Airfield.
In 2018, Johnny visited Kemble and was shown around the aircraft he called “majestic”.
He bought the aircraft in mid-2020 before it was transported to its final site in Brislington in February 2021.
It sits atop a custom built frame on top of shipping containers, and can be booked on Airbnb.
ASDA shoppers can’t get enough of Stacey Solomon Christmas decorations scanning for £1.50 instead of £18.
One customer recently posted their finds on the Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK Facebook group.
The savvy saver revealed how she paid just £1.50 for the festive Christmas wreath and ceramic house.
Both items are selling for £18 and £8 on Asda‘s website, respectively.
In the Facebook post, the shopper said she found the bargain-priced goodies at the Asda store in Barnstaple, Devon.
Plenty of others have commented saying they’ve snapped up the same items in their local branches for £1.50 too.
One said: “I got the wreath for £1.50 as well (at) Asda Newton Abbot.”
Another chipped in: “I got the wreaths too…for £1.50!”
A third commented: “I got both houses for £1.50 this morning too.”
Bear in mind, Asda might not have reduced the Christmas wreath and ceramic house to £1.50 in all its branches.
Retailers are allowed to price products differently across their store estates.
If you’re keen to snap either of the items up and don’t want to waste a journey, it could be worth calling ahead to see if your local branch has any in stock.
In any case, make sure you compare prices on websites like Trolley and Price Spy before buying anything though as you might find the same, or similar, item cheaper elsewhere.
Asda is one of a number of supermarkets offering cheap veg ahead of Christmas.
The retailer has dropped prices on sprouts, carrots and more to just 8p.
This is the full list of the chain’s reduced festive prices:
Only one other supermarket is currently offering veg for the same 8p price – Aldi.
Asda recently slashed the price of Toblerones to just £3 as well, cheaper than rival supermarkets.
The large milk chocolate bar (360g) usually sells for £6 so shoppers are saving a hefty £3.
The same bar also retails for £6 in Sainsbury’s and £4.50 in Poundland.
Tesco is the next cheapest place to buy it at £4, but at £3, Asda beats all other retailers.
You’ll have to be quick though as the offer is only running until just after Christmas.
Meanwhile, in October Asda unveiled its Christmas dinner range including a curry-inspired dish.
Consumer reporter Sam Walker reveals how you can save money on your Christmas shopping.
Limit the amount of presents – buying presents for all your family and friends can cost a bomb.
Instead, why not organise a Secret Santa between your inner circles so you’re not having to buy multiple presents.
Plan ahead – if you’ve got the stamina and budget, it’s worth buying your Christmas presents for the following year in the January sales.
Make sure you shop around for the best deals by using price comparison sites so you’re not forking out more than you should though.
Buy in Boxing Day sales – some retailers start their main Christmas sales early so you can actually snap up a bargain before December 25.
Delivery may cost you a bit more, but it can be worth it if the savings are decent.
Shop via outlet stores – you can save loads of money shopping via outlet stores like Amazon Warehouse or Office Offcuts.
They work by selling returned or slightly damaged products at a discounted rate, but usually any wear and tear is minor.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
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