ROUTINE tests on food quality by supermarkets and manufacturers do not include specific checks for the cancer-causing Sudan 1 red dye, it emerged last night.
The admission was made by Martin Paterson, deputy director-general of the Food and Drink Federation, as the Government’s Food Standards Agency prepares to reveal more suspect items on sale in Britain that may contain the substance.
Mr Paterson spoke out after the industry found itself facing the biggest food scare in Britain since BSE. The alert over 350 popular ready meals and other food items is also the largest recall yet demanded by the FSA. Mr Paterson denied that the incident raised questions over the quality control checks on food products made by companies. “You would not expect every single food product to be analysed for every single solution. You have to look for a substance for it to be checked.
“There is no one test that fits all. Companies seek and accept assurances about products from suppliers; especially those they have worked with for many years,” he said.
He emphasised that the recall by the watchdog had not been made because there was a serious threat to human health. “The agency risk assessment decided that the risks to consumers were very low; but quite rightly it decided that banned substances should not be used in any food product.”
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Mr Paterson said the company at the centre of the incident, Premier Foods, had informed the watchdog as soon as it knew there was a problem.
The whole industry then relied on advice from the agency as to how the news should be transmitted to the consumer.
Product liability experts however, believe that the incident raises urgent questions about the testing systems operating throughout the food chain. A swath of legal claims up the supply chain is also expected.
Richard Matthews, a partner of the law firm Eversheds, said: “There will be queries as to why quality control procedures did not detect the presence of Sudan 1, a known and banned contaminant. These issues will continue to be debated by companies who face exposure well after the dust surrounding the recall and its immediate aftermath has settled.”
Last night owners of corner shops and small retail outlets were given warning that there was no excuse for contaminated food to remain on sale.
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A spokesman for the FSA said the issue had made headline news; and a full list of the suspect products had been published in full in some newspapers such as The Times and the list was also available on the agency website.