Mars has announced the recall of its leading chocolate products for sale in the UK and Ireland. Tests have shown that salmonella may be present in some of the ingredients.

A Mars Chocolate spokesperson says, "Through our routine testing, we have detected the potential presence of salmonella from the ingredients used to make our chocolate. As a precaution, we are voluntarily recalling certain Galaxy Smooth Milk Chocolate bars, Galaxy Minstrels and Galaxy Counters and Teaser bars.

"We are working closely with the relevant food safety authorities and our customers to ensure that the affected products are no longer available for purchase. If you have one of the products listed above, you should not eat it. Please keep the product and contact our consumer care team to arrange return and reimbursement.

"This precautionary recall has been initiated with the best interests of our consumers at heart and we sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused. No other brands or varieties of chocolate, pack formats, bar sizes or best before dates are affected."