Britons warned as John Lewis products pulled from shelves over risk of 'lacerations'

Customers who purchased these baubles between September 2023 and October 2024 are advised to stop using them immediately.

The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) cautioned: "The products present a risk of cuts as they may be mistaken for real chocolates and break in the mouth or hands."

The recall affects various designs, including Fudge, Coffee Creme, The Purple One, The Green Triangle, Caramel Swirl and Strawberry Delight.

The OPSS shared the following product description on its website:

Type: Food-imitating products - Christmas Bauble

• Brand: John Lewis & Partners
• Product Codes: 76640881, 76640856, 76640883, 76640880, 76640822, 76640882
• Sales Period: 1st September 2023 to 17th October 2024
• Country of Origin: China
• Product Description: Various colours of glass baubles in Fudge, Coffee Crème, The Purple One, The Green Triangle, Caramel Swirl and Strawberry Delight designs.

However, their resemblance to real chocolates has raised significant safety concerns.

The OPSS cautioned: "The products present a risk of cuts or injuries as they may be mistaken with real chocolates.

"If the glass baubles are bitten or swallowed the user could receive lacerations to the mouth or hands."

The products do not meet the requirements of the Food Imitations (Safety) Regulations 1989 or the General Product Safety Regulations 2005.

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John Lewis has taken swift action to address the issue, urging customers to return the products to any John Lewis & Partners store for a full refund.

A spokesperson for the department store said: “We’re recalling six of our John Lewis Quality Street sweet glass baubles because of the potential risk of injury if they’re bitten or swallowed. This is purely a precautionary measure following concerns that the product may be mistaken with real chocolates.

“This only applies to these specific baubles and no other Quality Street products are affected. We’re very sorry for the inconvenience, and will be offering customers a full refund.”

Local Authority Trading Standards also notified the public of this safety hazard, emphasising the importance of removing these decorations from homes and returning them to the retailer.

For further assistance, customers can contact the John Lewis customer service team on 03456 049 049.

The helpline is available from 9.00am to 5.00pm, Monday to Friday.