By Chris Carter, Managing Solicitor  ·  Carter & Carter Solicitors  ·  6 March 2026

There is an assumption — understandable, and increasingly common — that plant-based food is the safer choice. Fewer animal products. Simpler ingredient lists. If you are managing a soya allergy, coeliac disease, or a wheat intolerance, reaching for a plant-based brand can feel like you are reducing the risk.

A recent FSA recall makes that point plainly.

On 28 January 2026, the Food Standards Agency issued Allergy Alert FSA-AA-11-2026, recalling a plant-based deli-style product (120g) sold by a well-known UK brand after the product was found to contain undeclared soya and wheat (gluten). Multiple use-by dates were affected — from 29 January through to 13 February 2026. The FSA advised anyone with a soya allergy, a wheat or gluten intolerance, or coeliac disease not to eat the product and to return it for a full refund. Source: FSA Allergy Alert FSA-AA-11-2026.

“A product being plant-based doesn’t make it allergen-safe. Soya and gluten are among the 14 legally regulated allergens — their absence from a label is always a legal failure, not an oversight.”

The product was sold through well-known UK supermarkets and online retailers. The recall covered a three-week window of use-by dates, meaning many people will have purchased — and potentially consumed — affected stock before the alert was issued. The FSA advised the brand to contact allergy support organisations so their members were alerted directly.

Does Plant-Based Food Still Have to Declare Allergens?

If I Reacted Before the Recall Was Announced, Can I Still Claim?

One point is worth being direct about. The recall was issued on 28 January 2026. If you bought and ate this product before that date — which is entirely possible given the use-by dates involved — you had no way of knowing about the undeclared allergens. The failure was in the label, not in your behaviour as a consumer.

The recall notice is not a defence for the company. It is, in fact, confirmation that the labelling was wrong. In our experience, that kind of documented admission from the manufacturer or the FSA significantly strengthens a compensation claim.

It is also worth understanding that a food recall and a personal compensation claim are entirely separate processes. A recall is what the food business does to get the product off shelves. A compensation claim is what you do, through a solicitor, to recover for the harm the labelling failure caused you.

The two run independently. The recall does not replace, cancel, or limit your right to claim.

“In our experience handling allergy claims since 2007, the strongest claims are the ones where someone sought medical attention promptly and kept the packaging. If you did both, speak to us — you may well have a claim worth pursuing.”

The plant-based food market has grown substantially, and with it the number of allergy and intolerance sufferers who buy these products specifically because they believe them to be lower-risk. That instinct is not unreasonable. But legally, plant-based products carry exactly the same allergen labelling obligations as any other food. The law makes no allowances for brand identity, marketing positioning, or good intentions.