Dunnes Stores Chicken Arrabbiata Recall Explained

If you picked up a ready meal from Dunnes Stores recently, you might want to double-check what’s actually in your fridge. The retailer has issued an urgent recall for its Chicken Arrabbiata with Penne Pasta after a mispacking error left undeclared allergens inside boxes that should not be there. The Food Safety Authority of Ireland confirmed that batch E2236C204 may contain fish and barley — two ingredients that pose serious risks to people with allergies or intolerances.

Product: Dunnes Stores Chicken Arrabbiata with Penne Pasta 400g · Recall Date: 21 February 2026 · Reason: Undeclared fish and barley due to mispacking · Price: €4.50 · Authority: FSAI Allergy Alert 2026.A04

Is Dunnes affected by listeria?

This recall does not involve listeria. The hazard here is different: undeclared allergens from a mispacked batch. According to the FSAI official alert, the Chicken Arrabbiata label covered a different product entirely — Irish Beef Ragu containing fish and barley that were not listed on the original packaging.

There was a separate listeria-related recall involving Dunnes Stores Café Sol salad products, but that incident is unrelated to the Chicken Arrabbiata situation. Both alerts appear on the FSAI allergens page, which tracks active food safety notices across Ireland.

Which pasta was recently recalled?

The recalled product is Dunnes Stores Chicken Arrabbiata with Penne Pasta, a 400g ready meal priced at €4.50. The Food Safety Authority of Ireland issued Allergy Alert Notification 2026.A04 after discovering that the tray contained Irish Beef Ragu and Conchiglie Pasta instead of the chicken dish. This mispacking means consumers expecting a chicken pasta meal actually received a beef ragu product with undeclared fish and barley allergens.

Batch and packaging issue

The affected batch code is E2236C204, with a use-by date of 01/02/2026 according to the FSAI primary source. The packaging shows Chicken Arrabbiata with Penne Pasta, but the actual food inside is Dunnes Stores Irish Beef Ragu and Conchiglie Pasta. The incorrect sleeving on the tray caused the labeling mismatch that triggered the recall.

What foods are being recalled in Ireland?

The FSAI maintains an active allergens page listing all current food recalls in Ireland. Beyond the Dunnes Stores Chicken Arrabbiata, other retailers have issued recent allergen-related recalls. For example, a separate recall involved Tesco Arrabbiata Sauce due to undeclared milk, as reported by iwaspoisoned.com. These unrelated incidents highlight ongoing challenges with labeling accuracy in prepared foods.

Other retailers like Lidl and SuperValu

Lidl has also issued chicken-related recalls recently, including a Lidl Chicken Kiev Recall Salmonella. SuperValu and other retailers typically appear on the FSAI alerts page when recalls are active. Consumers should check FSAI.gov.ie regularly for the most current list of recalled products.

Is there a way to check if my chicken is recalled?

Yes, consumers have several official avenues to verify whether their product is affected. The most direct method is checking the batch code and use-by date printed on the packaging. If you have a Dunnes Stores Chicken Arrabbiata with Penne Pasta and the batch code reads E2236C204 with a use-by date of 01/02/2026, return the product to any Dunnes Store immediately.

Dunnes Stores product recall page

Dunnes Stores publishes recall notices on its website and in-store notices direct customers to return affected products. The retailer advises consumers not to eat the product even if it looks normal — the hazard lies in hidden allergens, not visible contamination. A full refund is available without a receipt.

FSAI alerts and batch codes

The FSAI allergen alerts page provides the official list of all active recalls including batch codes, use-by dates, and specific hazards. The alert code 2026.A04 identifies this particular Dunnes Stores recall across all official communications.

Can salmonella in chicken be killed by cooking?

Proper cooking kills pathogens like salmonella — the FSIS recommends reaching an internal temperature of 74°C (165°F) to eliminate bacterial contamination. However, cooking does not neutralise allergens. Fish and barley proteins that cause allergic reactions remain intact regardless of heat treatment. This is why the Dunnes Stores recall specifically warns consumers with allergies to avoid the product even if they would normally cook it thoroughly.

Safe cooking temperatures

For standard chicken products, cooking to 75°C throughout eliminates salmonella risk according to FSAI food safety guidance. But the mispacked batch contains neither standard chicken preparation risks nor the expected ingredients — it contains beef ragu with fish and barley allergens that cooking cannot remove.

Relevance to recall risks

The recall risk here is allergen-based, not pathogen-based. Consumers with allergies or intolerances to fish or barley face the primary danger. For those without such allergies, the product poses no known safety risk from a food poisoning standpoint — but the mispacking itself represents a serious labeling failure.