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21/02/2005
More items added to contaminated food products list
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has added several more products to the list of food items contaminated with an illegal dye.
The FSA issued an urgent warning on Friday after Sudan 1, a dye that has been linked to an increased cancer risk, was found in batch of chilli powder, used by Premier Foods to manufacture a Worcester sauce. The sauce was then used as an ingredient in over three hundred other food products.
A list of 359 affected products was released on Friday The products affected, which include ready-meals, soups, sauces and other processed foods, include a large range of own-brand products from stores including Tesco, Sainsbury's Somerfield, Iceland and Marks and Spencer.
Sudan 1 has been associated with an increased cancer risk, but the levels present in the affected products are likely to be very small. The FSA stressed that there was no risk of immediate ill health, but said that it was "sensible" to avoid eating any more of the affected products.
Speaking after the initial warning was issued, FSA spokesman, Dr Jon Bell, said: "The Agency is working with the industry to ensure that any remaining affected products are speedily removed. Because of the widespread use of this Worcester sauce to flavour other foods, we may find further affected products. We will continue to take action to remove these and minimise the risk to consumers."
Sudan 1 is a red dye normally used for colouring solvents, oils, waxes, petrol and shoe and floor polishes. It should not be added to food and is banned in the UK and the rest of the EU. However, previous contamination of some food products has been uncovered. All chilli powder imported into the UK has to be certified free of Sudan 1, since July 2003.
The FSA and local authorities randomly sample over 1,000 consignments of imported chilli products per year. However, the FSA says that this particularly batch predates the sampling programme and was uncovered after sampling of Worcester sauce, produced by Premier Foods and exported to Italy.
The FSA said that all companies whose products are affected are co-operating fully in order to ensure all the affected products are withdrawn from sale.
Consumers who find any of the affected products at home are instructed not to eat them and contact the store they purchased them from for a refund.
A full list of the affected products can be found at: www.food.gov.uk
(KMcA/SP)
The FSA issued an urgent warning on Friday after Sudan 1, a dye that has been linked to an increased cancer risk, was found in batch of chilli powder, used by Premier Foods to manufacture a Worcester sauce. The sauce was then used as an ingredient in over three hundred other food products.
A list of 359 affected products was released on Friday The products affected, which include ready-meals, soups, sauces and other processed foods, include a large range of own-brand products from stores including Tesco, Sainsbury's Somerfield, Iceland and Marks and Spencer.
Sudan 1 has been associated with an increased cancer risk, but the levels present in the affected products are likely to be very small. The FSA stressed that there was no risk of immediate ill health, but said that it was "sensible" to avoid eating any more of the affected products.
Speaking after the initial warning was issued, FSA spokesman, Dr Jon Bell, said: "The Agency is working with the industry to ensure that any remaining affected products are speedily removed. Because of the widespread use of this Worcester sauce to flavour other foods, we may find further affected products. We will continue to take action to remove these and minimise the risk to consumers."
Sudan 1 is a red dye normally used for colouring solvents, oils, waxes, petrol and shoe and floor polishes. It should not be added to food and is banned in the UK and the rest of the EU. However, previous contamination of some food products has been uncovered. All chilli powder imported into the UK has to be certified free of Sudan 1, since July 2003.
The FSA and local authorities randomly sample over 1,000 consignments of imported chilli products per year. However, the FSA says that this particularly batch predates the sampling programme and was uncovered after sampling of Worcester sauce, produced by Premier Foods and exported to Italy.
The FSA said that all companies whose products are affected are co-operating fully in order to ensure all the affected products are withdrawn from sale.
Consumers who find any of the affected products at home are instructed not to eat them and contact the store they purchased them from for a refund.
A full list of the affected products can be found at: www.food.gov.uk
(KMcA/SP)
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