A FOOD manufacturer which uses Olympic Games champion Mo Farah for advertising has recalled 12,000 packs of meat free mince because it may contain small pieces of metal.

The Food Standards Agency said the 300g product made by Quorn Foods, which is based in Station Road, Stokesley, "could represent a safety risk".

It said no other batches of Quorn Foods products were known to be affected.

An agency spokesman said the product being recalled, which was only sold at Tesco, had a best before date of August 31, next year and the batch code 136331.

He added: "If you have bought the above product do not eat it. Instead, return it to the store from where it was bought for a full refund.

"Quorn Foods Ltd is recalling the above product from Tesco stores. A point-of-sale-notice will be displayed at Tesco stores. This notice explains why the product is being recalled and advises consumers what to do if they have bought it."

A spokesman for the firm has been reported as saying the recall was "a precautionary measure" and that products bought before February 27 were unaffected.

The firm's website features a video of Olympic gold medal-winning hockey player Kate Richardson advertising the product as a healthy source of protein.

Last year, the firm's chief executive, Kevin Brennan, said overseas expansion meant the firm was well on its way to becoming a global business worth one billion US dollars (£761 million) within the next 10 years.