Batches of Durex condoms have been recalled over fears that they may burst as they come to the end of their shelf life.

The Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) issued a recall announcement after being alerted by Reckitt Benckiser, the makers of Durex condoms , that a number of its Real Feel Latex-Free and Latex Free Polyisoprene condoms manufactured this year have not passed the requirements for burst pressure towards the end of the shelf life for the product.

The expiry date of the affected batches is between December 2020 and February 2021 and the HPRA said it was concerned that there could be an increase in the number of condoms which burst “during application or use”.

The regulatory authority said consumers would need to check the bottom of the outer pack and the foil wrapping of the individual condoms to see if the batch numbers matched those listed on the field safety notice issued on Monday evening.

‘Any health concerns’

It said that anyone with a product carrying the affected batch numbers should “immediately discontinue the use of the affected product” and return it to the store where it was purchased from for a full refund.

People with “any health concerns” were urged to consult a pharmacist or a general practitioner to seek advice and to report “any concerns regarding this device or incidents involving this device to the manufacturer and the HPRA”.

The regulatory authority also advised wholesalers, distributors, pharmacies and retail outlets to “immediately quarantine and discontinue sale of the affected products” and to ensure “affected product is returned to the wholesaler/manufacturer.”

The batch numbers affected are:

Durex Latex Free 12-Pack

Sku number 3014272: Batch numbers 1000444367 – expiry February 2021 and 1000433145 expiry January – 2021

Durex Real Feel 12-Pack

Sku number 3014277: Batch numbers 1000419930 January 2021, 1000444367 February 2021 and 1000416206 December 2020.

The regulatory authority also said that other six- and 18-pack boxes of the Real Feel condoms – which were for sale in the UK market – may be on shelves in Irish retail outlets. It is “requesting consumers to also check the below list of batch numbers. Although the HPRA have received no confirmation to date that the following batch numbers are on the Irish market, we strongly believe these products may have reached the Irish market,” its statement noted.

The batch numbers for the UK products are:

Durex Real Feel 6 Pack: 1000438054

Durex Real Feel 12 Pack: 1000444370, 1000474804

Durex Real Feel 18 Pack: 1000434066, 1000430479

Durex Real Feel 18 Pack (RF Tag): 1000430479