13 December, 2007 – UK supermarket Asda has announced the withdrawal of bottles its own brand of Beaujolais wine after a labelling error omitted to list sulphur dioxide as an ingredient. The substance, also known as sulphites, can cause asthma attacks.
The Food Standards Agency issued an allergy alert warning to anyone who is sensitive to sulphur dioxide not to drink Asda’s own brand Extra Special Beaujolais Villages 2006.
“Asthma sufferers have a sensitivity to sulphur dioxide and relatively small amounts may trigger an asthma attack,” said the FSA statement.
The supermarket giant confirmed more than 24,000 bottles of the wine had been sold over the last week.
An Asda spokesman told FLEXNEWS the wine had been sold mainly in 25cl “taster” bottles to give customers the opportunity to try before they purchased a larger volume - and it posed no problem for the majority of the public.
“We have had no customer complaints and this is a precautionary measure,” he said.