Some Original Curry Pot Noodles are in the recall.

Unilever wants customers to return certain types of Pot Noodle, saying that in some cases, the cracks may lead to the "leakage of hot product".

It is putting adverts in newspapers advising customers of the problem, as a "precautionary measure".

Customers should not use the affected products, it said.

Single-packs only

AFFECTED POT NOODLES Best Before End Nov 2007: Beef & Tomato (96g) Best Before End Dec 2007: Original Curry (98g) King Pot Original Curry (119g) King Pot Chicken & Mushroom (117g) King Pot 'Down with Salt' Chicken & Mushroom (116g) Beef & Tomato (96g) (Products sold in 'Value 4 Packs' are not affected)

They should be returned to the company - and not to the shop where it was purchased, Unilever said.

Anyone with an affected pack should call 0800 146 252 for details.

The company said that only those sold as single packs, and not in four packs, were part of the recall.

A spokesman for Unilever said production at its Pot Noodle factory at Crumlin near Caerphilly had stopped, while the fault with some of the pots was fixed.

Last year the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) received 81 complaints about a Pot Noodle advert featuring Welsh miners, accusing it of racism.

However, the ASA rejected the claims.