PEOPLE are being warned not to eat a type of cooked ham after salmonella was discovered.

Safeway, which has a branch in Longridge, has cleared its shelves of the ham and is urging anyone who has bought it not to eat it.

The ham affected is labelled Safeway Premium Cut Traditional Cured and Honey Roasted Ham, 100g. Its promotional price was 99p and normal price £1.29.

Hazlewood Foods of Milton Keynes, which supplies the ham, found salmonella in a batch of the product during routine testing. There have been no reported cases of illness associated with the ham.

Anyone who has a packet of the ham is asked to return it to Safeway for a full refund.

Hazlewood Foods has asked other companies to whom it supplies similar meat products to withdraw them from sale and the factory has stopped operating.

Food minister Jeff Rooker said: "We do not yet know the kind of salmonella or the extent of the problem. But we do know that salmonella infection can cause fever, stomach discomfort and rashes. Children, elderly people and those with an underlying medical condition are especially vulnerable.

"All concerned are working closely with the Joint Food Safety and Standards Group - which will form the core of the new Food Standards Agency - to investigate further."

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