Aldi Faces String of Food Recalls in Quick Succession — Are Quality Checks Slipping?

Aldi UK has issued a series of product recalls over the past few weeks after the Food Standards Agency (FSA) flagged serious labelling errors involving undeclared allergens. The latest alert affects Panatas Part-Baked 6-Pack Custard Tarts, which may pose health risks for people with food allergies or intolerances.

Latest Aldi Product Recall: Custard Tarts With Undeclared Allergens

On Saturday, the FSA announced the recall of Aldi's Panatas Part-Baked 6-Pack Custard Tarts (PYB02) due to missing allergen declarations. According to the agency, the product contains egg, milk, wheat (gluten), hazelnuts, sesame, and soya, none of which were listed on the product's label.

These undeclared allergens present a serious health risk to anyone with allergies, intolerances, or coeliac disease, prompting the FSA to issue a public food alert.

Aldi has urged customers not to consume the affected product and to return it to the store for a full refund. 'If you have bought the above product and have an allergy or intolerance, do not eat it. Instead, return it to the store from where it was bought,' the supermarket said in a statement.

The retailer has displayed point-of-sale notices in all relevant stores, and the FSA has informed allergy advocacy organisations to alert affected consumers.

Previous Aldi Recalls: Ice Cream and Beef Steaks

The custard tart recall follows two recent withdrawals involving similar labelling failures:

• Gianni's Cheeky Monkey Ice Cream was recalled due to the presence of wheat (gluten) not listed on the label.
• Ashfields 30 Day Matured Thin Cut Beef Steaks (360g, use-by 26 October 2025) were pulled from shelves after undeclared milk was discovered.

In each case, the FSA flagged the products as posing risks to consumers with food allergies. While product recalls are relatively common, the frequency and proximity of Aldi's three recent recalls have prompted questions about the retailer's labelling controls and supply chain oversight.

FSA: Retailers Must Improve Allergy Labelling Compliance

Under UK food labelling law, manufacturers and retailers are required to declare all 14 major allergens clearly on packaging. These include:
celery, cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, lupin, milk, molluscs, mustard, peanuts, sesame, soybeans, sulphur dioxide and sulphites, and tree nuts.

Non-compliance can trigger formal product recalls, regulatory enforcement, or reputational damage.

The FSA regularly monitors and publishes food recall alerts and continues to urge retailers to uphold rigorous labelling standards to protect public health.

Aldi's Response: Quality Control Under Scrutiny

The FSA confirmed that Aldi acted swiftly in all three cases and issued the necessary customer notices. However, the rapid succession of recalls has raised concerns about the supermarket's quality control and supplier management practices.

Known for its value-driven pricing and operational efficiency, Aldi now faces pressure to reassure consumers that its allergen labelling procedures are both compliant and reliable.

With three food safety recalls in a short timeframe, Aldi's brand reputation and the trust of its allergy-sensitive customers may depend on how effectively it strengthens its product safety systems going forward.