Branston, Asda, Sainsbury's, Tesco recall canned beans over rubber ball contamination

On December 15, 2023, a routine food safety check turned into a nationwide alert when the Food Standards Agency ordered Princes Group to recall four canned bean products sold across the UK after small rubber balls were found inside the tins. The contamination, though seemingly minor, posed a real choking hazard — and worse, the potential for internal injury if swallowed. The affected products, distributed by Asda, Sainsbury's, and Tesco, were still on shelves and in home pantries, with best-before dates stretching into late 2025. This wasn’t a minor glitch. It was a breakdown in a system designed to catch exactly this kind of thing.

What Was Recalled — And Where It Came From

The recall targeted four specific items, each with precise batch codes and packaging details:

• Branston Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce (4 x 410g, batch code 3338, best-before December 2025)
• Sainsbury’s Baked Beans & Pork Sausages (400g, batch code 3312, best-before November 2025)
• Tesco Mixed Bean Salad in Vinaigrette (400g, batch code 3299, best-before October 2025)
• Tesco Baked Beans & Pork Sausages (395g, batch code 3312, best-before November 2025)

All were manufactured by Princes Group, a long-standing UK-based food producer with decades of experience in canned goods. The rubber balls — described only as "small" — were found during internal quality checks. No injuries have been reported yet, but the Food Standards Agency didn’t wait for someone to get hurt. Their statement was blunt: "These products may contain small rubber balls which makes them unsafe to eat."

How Did Rubber Get Into the Tins?

Here’s the odd part: rubber balls aren’t something you accidentally drop into a bean vat. They’re typically used in industrial machinery — maybe as seals, dampeners, or parts in filling equipment. That suggests the contamination happened during the canning process, likely from a worn-out or broken component that wasn’t caught by the usual metal detectors or visual inspections. Why didn’t the filters catch it? That’s the question everyone’s asking.

Industry experts point to a troubling trend: as food manufacturers push for faster production lines and tighter margins, maintenance schedules can slip. One former packaging engineer, who spoke anonymously, said: "You’d think rubber components would be color-coded or made from detectable materials. But sometimes, cost-saving means using off-the-shelf parts that aren’t food-grade. And if the machine’s running at 200 cans a minute? A tiny piece can slip through."

It’s not the first time foreign objects have sparked recalls — think of the 2021 incident with plastic shards in canned soup, or the 2019 case of glass fragments in canned tomatoes. But rubber balls? That’s unusual. Even the Food Standards Agency admitted this was "an uncommon but serious contamination risk."

How Retailers and Consumers Are Responding

Asda, Sainsbury’s, and Tesco acted swiftly. All three retailers posted recall notices on their websites and sent alerts to customers who’d bought the products via loyalty cards. The message was clear: Don’t eat them. Return them. No receipt? No problem. Full refunds are being offered at the point of purchase, even if the product was bought months ago.

Princes Group set up a dedicated helpline and emailed customers who had registered their purchases online. Their statement didn’t blame suppliers or blame the factory — just said they were "taking full responsibility" and "cooperating fully" with regulators. That’s the right tone. But it doesn’t explain how this happened.

Meanwhile, the Richmond Trading Standards team — part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames — published the official leaflet (reference 334420) on their website, ensuring the recall reached every corner of the UK. Sky News and The Metal Packager picked up the story within days, turning a quiet regulatory notice into a national headline: "Baked beans recalled because they may contain rubber balls."

Why This Matters Beyond the Tins

This isn’t just about beans. It’s about trust. When people buy canned food, they assume the seal is intact, the contents are clean, and the process is foolproof. That assumption is now shaken. And with inflation pushing families to buy cheaper, bulk-packaged goods, the stakes are higher than ever.

Food safety isn’t just about bacteria or toxins. Physical contaminants like rubber, plastic, or metal can be just as dangerous — especially for children and the elderly. The fact that these products had best-before dates as far out as December 2025 means they were likely sitting on warehouse shelves for months before hitting stores. That raises questions about how often these systems are tested, and whether routine inspections are truly rigorous.

Experts say this recall could lead to tighter rules on non-food-grade materials in production lines. "We’ve seen this before with lids, caps, and seals," said Dr. Helen Lin, a food safety analyst at the University of Reading. "But rubber balls? That’s a new one. It suggests the entire quality control chain — from maintenance logs to final inspection — needs a rethink."

What Happens Next?

Princes Group has promised a full internal review, but no timeline has been given. The Food Standards Agency will likely conduct an independent audit of their production facilities. If negligence is found, fines could follow — and reputational damage could linger for years.

For now, consumers are being told to check their cupboards. If you’ve got any of the listed products, don’t risk it. Return them. And if you’ve already eaten from one? Watch for symptoms like abdominal pain, nausea, or difficulty swallowing. Seek medical advice if anything feels off.

This isn’t just a recall. It’s a wake-up call.