Lambertz Christmas biscuits recalled over allergen labelling

The products being recalled

Two Lambertz products are affected by this recall. The table below sets out the product names, pack sizes, best before dates and the reason given in the alert.

The Food Standards Agency published this as allergy alert FSA-AA-44-2026 on 3 October 2026. No other Lambertz products are named in this alert. If you have a pack of either product, check the pack size and the best before date against the table above. The recall applies to these specific packs. Lambertz has issued a recall notice to its customers explaining why the products are being recalled and what to do if they have bought them. Lambertz is recalling the products from customers and has been advised to contact the relevant allergy support organisations, which will tell their members about the recall. A product recall asks customers to return a product they have already bought. This is different from a withdrawal, which removes stock from sale before it reaches customers. Here, the products have reached customers and are being recalled from them.

Why a labelling language failure triggers a recall

UK law requires allergen information on prepacked food to be provided in English. That requirement is not a technicality. It exists so that a shopper can read a label and make a safe choice. A product can carry a complete and accurate allergen list in another language and still breach the rules, because a shopper who cannot read that language has no way to know what is in the product. The information is there, but it is not accessible to the people who need it. That is the failure at the centre of this recall.

This is different from a contamination recall, where something is in the food that should not be there. It is also different from an undeclared allergen recall, where the information is missing altogether. In those cases, the label may say nothing about an allergen that is present. Here, the allergens are present and they are listed on the pack, but not in English. The distinction matters because the risk comes from the language of the label rather than from a missing ingredient line. The 14 regulated allergens that must be declared on prepacked food in the UK include cereals containing gluten, eggs, milk, soya, peanuts, tree nuts, sesame and lupin. For a shopper who reads only English, a label in another language does not communicate which of those allergens the product contains. The recall is a response to that gap between the information on the pack and the information a shopper can actually use.

The allergens in these products

The FSA states these products contain barley and wheat (gluten), hazelnuts (nuts), milk, lactose and whey (milk), and lecithin (soya). The FSA states the products may contain egg, lupin, other nuts, peanuts, and sesame. It helps to separate what the products contain from what they may contain. The contains list covers ingredients that are part of the product. The may contain list covers a risk of cross contamination during manufacture rather than a deliberate ingredient. A may contain warning does not mean the allergen is an intended part of the recipe. It means there is a risk that it could be present because of how the product is made.

The FSA states this makes them a possible health risk for anyone with an allergy or intolerance to barley or wheat containing gluten, or with coeliac disease, an allergy or intolerance to egg, milk or milk constituents, an allergy to lupin, peanuts, nuts, sesame or soya. The gluten content makes this relevant to anyone with coeliac disease as well as to those with a wheat allergy. Coeliac UK supports people with coeliac disease. If you have any of the allergies or intolerances listed, these products are not safe for you. If you do not have any of the listed allergies or intolerances, you are not at risk from these products. The recall is aimed at the group for whom the listed allergens are a health risk.

What to do if you have a pack

Check the pack size and the best before date against the table above. If you have one of the allergies or intolerances listed, do not eat it. Return it to the shop it was bought from for a full refund. The refund is available whether or not you have the receipt, because the product is being recalled as unsafe for the affected group. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 goods supplied must be as described. If you have eaten one and feel unwell, seek medical advice. For a severe allergic reaction call 999.

If you are unsure whether a pack you have is affected, compare the product name, the pack size and the best before date with the details in the table. The recall covers Lambertz Mini Spekulatius in the 150g pack with a best before date of 30 August 2027, and Lambertz Christmas Tree Cookies in the 160g pack with a best before date of 17 May 2027. If your pack does not match those details, it is not part of this alert. If it does match and you have one of the listed allergies or intolerances, return it. For more on your rights when a product is recalled, see the KT guide to product recall consumer rights.

How to keep up with recalls

The Food Standards Agency publishes every recall and allergy alert and offers free email and text alert subscriptions. Checking the FSA alerts page is a reliable way to see what is current. Social media often recirculates old recalls as if they were current, so it is worth going to the source rather than relying on a shared post. Recalls are also posted in store, so a notice near the till or on the shelf can tell you about a product that has been recalled.

Anaphylaxis UK supports people managing serious allergies. Coeliac UK supports people with coeliac disease. Both are sources of support for people managing the conditions that make these products a risk. If you shop for someone with one of the listed allergies or intolerances, it is worth checking the FSA alerts page from time to time, particularly around seasonal products. The FSA reference for this alert is FSA-AA-44-2026, published 3 October 2026. No other Lambertz products are named in this alert.

Source: FSA: allergy alert FSA-AA-44-2026.

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Frequently asked questions

Which Lambertz products are being recalled?

Lambertz Mini Spekulatius in the 150g pack with a best before date of 30 August 2027, and Lambertz Christmas Tree Cookies in the 160g pack with a best before date of 17 May 2027. No other Lambertz products are named in this alert.

Why are these products being recalled?

The allergens they contain are not declared in English on the label. The allergens are present and listed on the pack, but not in English, so a shopper who cannot read the label language has no way to know what is in the product.

What allergens do the products contain?

The FSA states these products contain barley and wheat (gluten), hazelnuts (nuts), milk, lactose and whey (milk), and lecithin (soya). The FSA states the products may contain egg, lupin, other nuts, peanuts, and sesame.

Who is at risk from these products?

The FSA states this makes them a possible health risk for anyone with an allergy or intolerance to barley or wheat containing gluten, or with coeliac disease, an allergy or intolerance to egg, milk or milk constituents, an allergy to lupin, peanuts, nuts, sesame or soya. People without any of the listed allergies or intolerances are not at risk from these products.

What should I do if I have a pack?

Check the pack size and the best before date against the recall details. If you have one of the allergies or intolerances listed, do not eat it. Return it to the shop it was bought from for a full refund, which is available whether or not you have the receipt.