After a stink over its store plans in Bexleyheath and Dartford, Tesco has caused a bad smell in a different way.

The supermarket chain has been forced to recall one of its own-brand squash drinks after customers complained about it being like “used toilet water” and parents raised the possibility it could have caused their children's stomach upsets.

Tesco said it had withdrawn the Tesco No Added Sugar Double Concentrate Apple and Blackcurrant 750ml and 1.5l products and was investigating complaints.

A post on the PlayPennies website alerting users to the recall prompted a flurry of replies from those who said they had opened the squash and noticed an unusual smell while others reported their children had vomited after drinking it.

One poster wrote: "I bought 2 bottles of this squash over a week to a fortnight ago. We opened one and it smelt absolutely disgusting ... the only way to describe the smell was that it had been mixed with used toilet water..."

Clairedavies85 said: "Had this other day. The smell was horrendous but drank it anyway as I thought they just changed it. Since then both my daughter and partner have had bad bellies."

MrsD32 posted: "We finished a bottle of this yesterday and opened a new one last night. My eldest 2 children are off school today, one with diarrhoea and the other was sick all night. I hope this is a coincidence Tesco but it's not looking very likely!"

Swilly26 wrote: "I gave this to my son on Sunday then Sunday night he was sick. He's had some more today and been sick again..."

Tesco said a flavour additive had been added in error to the squash, but said it posed no food safety risk.

A spokeswoman said: "We have investigated with our supplier complaints about Tesco No Added Sugar Double Concentrate Apple and Blackcurrant 750ml and 1.5l.

"A flavour additive, which is not part of the ingredients for this product, has been added in error. The additive is called Dimethyl Disulphide and is a common ingredient in food products.

"It is an approved additive and poses no food safety risk. However, it does have a strong odour, similar to garlic, which customers are likely to find unpleasant.

"We have withdrawn the product from sale. Only products bought since the New Year may be affected, they will have a best-before date of October 2015.

"Any customers can return this product, open or unopened, to any Tesco store."