One of the most popular e-cigarette brands has been stripped from the shelves of several major UK supermarkets after they were found to contain “illegal” nicotine levels.
ELFBAR 600 – which is more commonly known as just ‘Elf Bars’ – is described by the company as being “the most popular disposable vape”, and it comes in countless eye-catching bright colours, an extensive range of 30 sweet and fruity flavours.
Given the uncharacteristic e-cigarette look, and the fact they come in flavours such as Blueberry, Guava, Cotton Candy Ice, Blue Razz Raspberry, Pink Lemonade, and so many more, this has lead experts to believing that Elf Bars are a contributing factor to the rise in popularity of e-cigarettes and vaping among younger people.
This is only proven by a recent survey carried out for Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) finding that the proportion of children aged 11 to 17 currently vaping has risen from 4% in 2020 to 7% in 2022.
Elf Bars are available in varying nicotine levels – but recently, a Daily Mail investigation has revealed that the Watermelon-flavoured ELFBAR 600s were found to have at least 50% more than the legal limit for nicotine e-liquid.
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This has lead Morrisons, Tesco, and Sainsbury’s stores across the UK to cease selling the product.
Elf Bars stripped from major UK supermarket shelves after ‘illegal’ nicotine levels found / Credit: ELFBAR
Not only that, but Morrisons has even taken things one step further by deciding to stop the sale of the whole ELFBAR 600 range following the investigation.
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Addressing the findings from the investigation and explaining its decision to strip all Elf Bars from its shelves, a Morrisons spokesperson told ITV News: “As part of our ongoing investigation into the legal compliance of ELFBAR 600 disposable electronic cigarettes with Trading Standards, we have made the decision to remove all flavoured variants from sale.
“The products will only be returned to sale once stock that fully complies with UK legislation becomes available”.
Tesco says the vapes have been temporarily removed from shelves as “a precautionary measure” while the manufacturer “urgently investigates these claims.”
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Sainsbury’s echos a similar statement to Tesco, and confirmed it’s in “close contact with our supplier”.
Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) found that the number of children aged 11 to 17 currently vaping has risen / Credit: Flickr
In light of the Daily Mail investigation – which was the result of buying multiple £5.99 vapes from a Tesco in Derbyshire, and sending them off for testing – an ELFBAR spokesman told the newspaper in response to the findings: “We found out that some batches of the Elf Bar product have been overfilled in the UK.
“It appears that e-liquid tank sizes, which are standard in other markets [such as the US], have been inadvertently fitted to some of our UK products [and] we wholeheartedly apologise for the inconvenience this has caused.”
The company added that it would alert retailers and review its production process, but insisted that the “highly regrettable situation” did not compromise the product’s safety.
Featured Image – ELFBAR
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Salford RLFC issue statement as head coach Mike Grady departs after less than three months
Danny Jones
Salford Rugby League Football Club have issued an official statement following the departure of head coach Mike Grady, who has left the role after less than three months in the job.
It has been insisted that this is not a sacking, but rather a joint decision to terminate his contract.
Grady, who took up the mantle at the start of this project following the end of the Salford Red Devils era, was only appointed on 5 January.
He had previously been in charge of the Red Devils’ women’s side over the past couple of years, but moved over to hopefully lead this new era forward.
As you can see, the club confirmed in a statement that they and Grady have “mutually agreed to part ways due to changes in his personal circumstances.”
They go on to write: “We are forever indebted to Mike for his unwavering commitment to the club. We want to thank him for all his hard work since taking on the role as Head Coach in very challenging circumstances in December.”
Also sharing a comment from former player turned CEO, Ryan Brierley, he said: “Mike came in as Coach at a time when the club had just come through one of its toughest times with the double impact of relegation and liquidation.
“He was willing to roll up his sleeves and bring stability to the club on the pitch. The fact we were able to field a team against Oldham in January, after only three weeks, speaks volumes about his commitment and determination. To beat Hunslet at home only four weeks later was a fantastic achievement.
“Mike will always be remembered as the person [who] strived and achieved the objective of sending out the first Salford team of this new era. A team running onto the pitch, after so much hard work, gave us all something to cheer about. We also remember how well he successfully guided our women’s team to third and fourth place finishes in the Championship.”
Sharing his own farewell message, he went on to add: “I want to thank Ryan for the opportunity to represent this great club and fan base. What we created at the start of the year was pretty special, and I’m proud to have built that.
“I’m happy to leave the club in a better place than I found it and wish the club all the best for the future.” Salford RLFC have already assured that they are now recruiting for his replacement.
Price caps and standardisations to be introduced for vet care in UK following major investigation
Emily Sergeant
Reforms to the veterinary industry to help pet owners better navigate the vet services market are set to be introduced this year.
After an independent inquiry group recently found that the current system is leaving pet owners ‘in the dark’, with a lack of information to help make informed decisions leading to weak competition and high prices, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has this week concluded its investigation into veterinary services for household pets in the UK.
The final report green-lights a package of measures to make the market more competitive, easier to navigate, and more responsive to pet owners’ needs.
It outlines the final remedies and recommendations, which together, will transform the market.
Remedies and recommendations in the report range from price caps and standardisations, through to upfront cost transparency.
We’ve set out major reforms to the UK’s veterinary sector now our market investigation is complete.
Our reforms will help pet owners better navigate the vet services market and will start coming into force later this year.
— Competition & Markets Authority (@CMAgovUK) March 24, 2026
Practices will soon be required to publish a comprehensive price list for standard services – including consultations, common procedures, diagnostics, written prescriptions and cremation options – so pet owners know up-front how much certain services are expected to cost.
They’ll also have to make it clear whether they are part of a group or an independent business, and provide a written estimate in advance for any treatment expected to cost £500 or more (including aftercare costs), plus an itemised bill.
Written prescription fees are set to be capped at £21 for the first medicine, and then £12.50 for any additional medicines.
Price caps and standardisations are set to be introduced for vet care in UK / Credit: Pxhere
There’s also set to be changes to the complaints process, as practices will now be required to follow a transparent, accessible, in-house complaints process, and engage in mediation where disputes cannot be resolved.
The CMA says an ‘unprecedented’ response from both the public and the sector has helped to shape the final report.
The next step is for the Government to respond to the report formally – with Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Emma Reynolds, commenting: “We are grateful for all the work of the Competition and Markets Authority, and we will respond to the report and set out next steps for our proposed reforms in due course.
“This Government is focused on helping families save money on vet services by improving transparency and choice around pricing, so the public can make informed decisions about their pets’ care.”
Emily Sergeant -
9th February 2023 
