WOOLWORTHS yesterday warned all customers not to eat any lamb products bought from any of their supermarkets in the past 11 days because the meat may have been exposed to harmful vapours.
The Daily Telegraph understands the massive recall, which affects all Woolworths stores across the country except for Western Australia, accounts for about 4 per cent of the chain's total meat stock and will affect almost 700 of their supermarkets.
The possible contamination was detected over the past three days after in-store butchers and four different customers complained about a foul smell permeating the meat.
Although the cause of the problem hasn't been verified, Woolworths think about 1200 carcasses may have been contaminated during renovations at an abattoir in Cootamundra, in south west NSW, run by GM Scott.
"Woolworths understands GM Scott recently laid a new floor at their processing plant and meat destined for Woolworths could have been exposed to vapours," the spokesperson said last night.
Because there is no way to trace where the carcasses were delivered, Woolworths has been forced to recall all lamb products sold between May 27 and June 5 and with a use-by date between May 31 and June 23.
A batch of affected products were yesterday being tested by an independent laboratory and the NSW Food Authority to see if they posed any health risk.
No symptoms of illness have been reported by people who have consumed the meat and Woolworths maintains that the voluntary recall is "just a massive precaution".
A spokesman for GM Scott said the processing plant will wait for the test results before drawing conclusions.
"The floors are done according to food safety standards and while obviously the extent of the vapours has to be considered, the company isn't about to accept the blame just yet," he said.
Customers can return the recalled products to any Woolworths store for a full refund and were urged not to worry if they had eaten them.
"We don't believe it to be a health risk but we do advise that customers don't consume the product if they can help it," the Woolworths spokesperson said.
Woolworths recently withdrew a Home Brand frozen spring roll product in a national recall due to manufacturing problems.
The Daily Telegraph understands the massive recall, which affects all Woolworths stores across the country except for Western Australia, accounts for about 4 per cent of the chain's total meat stock and will affect almost 700 of their supermarkets.
The possible contamination was detected over the past three days after in-store butchers and four different customers complained about a foul smell permeating the meat.
Although the cause of the problem hasn't been verified, Woolworths think about 1200 carcasses may have been contaminated during renovations at an abattoir in Cootamundra, in south west NSW, run by GM Scott.
"Woolworths understands GM Scott recently laid a new floor at their processing plant and meat destined for Woolworths could have been exposed to vapours," the spokesperson said last night.
Because there is no way to trace where the carcasses were delivered, Woolworths has been forced to recall all lamb products sold between May 27 and June 5 and with a use-by date between May 31 and June 23.
A batch of affected products were yesterday being tested by an independent laboratory and the NSW Food Authority to see if they posed any health risk.
No symptoms of illness have been reported by people who have consumed the meat and Woolworths maintains that the voluntary recall is "just a massive precaution".
A spokesman for GM Scott said the processing plant will wait for the test results before drawing conclusions.
"The floors are done according to food safety standards and while obviously the extent of the vapours has to be considered, the company isn't about to accept the blame just yet," he said.
Customers can return the recalled products to any Woolworths store for a full refund and were urged not to worry if they had eaten them.
"We don't believe it to be a health risk but we do advise that customers don't consume the product if they can help it," the Woolworths spokesperson said.
Woolworths recently withdrew a Home Brand frozen spring roll product in a national recall due to manufacturing problems.
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