Baby food and undeclared allergens make for an especially uncomfortable combination -- which is why HiPP Organic UK is moving quickly. The company is recalling one batch of its 7+ months Vegetable Lasagne after celeriac was listed in the ingredients but not emphasised in bold, as UK allergen labelling rules require. Celeriac is a type of celery, and celery is one of the 14 major allergens that must stand out on the label so allergy-aware parents can spot it at a glance.
If you've got this jar in the cupboard for an infant aged 7 months or older, check the side of the label for the batch code. Only B49311 is affected -- other batches and other HiPP products are not part of this recall.
If your baby has a known celery allergy or you're not sure:
For further information, contact HiPP customer services on 0800 298 4477 or email [email protected].
Allergen rules exist because parents make snap decisions in supermarket aisles -- a quick glance at a label, a basket, a pushchair, a tired toddler. Bolded allergens are the legal shortcut that lets a parent take in the safety of a product in seconds. When the bolding is missing, even an experienced parent can miss it.
It's also worth remembering that babies can't tell you something feels wrong. Unlike an adult who might pause at a strange tingle in the throat, an infant has only blunt signals -- a rash, vomiting, breathing changes -- and those can come on fast. That's exactly why the FSA treats unemphasised allergens on baby food as urgent enough to warrant a full recall, even when the ingredient is technically listed somewhere on the jar.
If you regularly buy baby food, it's worth bookmarking the FSA alerts page and checking it now and then. Most weeks there's nothing to worry about -- but on the weeks there is, you'll want to be the first to know.