Italian spirits major Illva Saronno has recalled batches of Disaronno liqueur in the UK and Ireland this week over concerns it may be contaminated with glass.

The UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) issued an alert on Tuesday (9 December), warning of the “possible” presence of small pieces of glass in seven batches of 700ml bottles of Disaronno Originale.

Illva Saronno has recalled the affected products and point‑of‑sale notices have been posted in all retail outlets stocking them, according to the FSA.

In a statement to Just Drinks, Illva Saronno confirmed it has “voluntarily” decided to recall the products.

The issue arises from an “anomaly detected on one of its bottling lines”, it said.

According to the company, the glass micro-fragments impacted 0.17% of the withdrawn 700ml bottles.

The company stressed that other formats, including 1l and 500ml bottles, as well as all Limited Edition series sold in the UK, are unaffected.

“Therefore, none of the major grocery retailers such as Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, and Morrisons are impacted", it said.

Illva Saronno added that it took “immediate” steps to correct the issue, reiterating its commitment to “product quality, transparency towards consumers and compliance with the UK food safety standards”.

A similar recall was issued by the company in Ireland on Monday (8 December). A notice from the Food Safety Authority of Ireland said two batches of Disaronno Originale 500 Years in limited edition bottles were being recalled due to the potential presence of shards of glass.

Best known for its Disaronno and Tia Maria brands, Illva Saronno sells a range of other products in the UK, including Italian gin brand Engine that it acquired the remainder of last year, as well as German brand Three Sixty Vodka, which it began distributing in the UK earlier this year.

Up until 2021, William Grant & Sons distributed Illva Saronno’s products in the UK but the group launched its own local business to drive sales.