Full list of affected foods
More than 350 popular food products from supermarkets including Marks & Spencer and Tesco have been withdrawn from the shelves because they were found to contain an illegal, cancer-causing dye, the Food Standards Agency warned today.
The red dye, Sudan I, was found in a batch of chilli powder used by Premier Foods to manufacture a Worcester sauce, which was then used to flavour a wide array of foods.
Ready meals such as beef casserole and shepherd’s pie, sauces, marinades, thousand island dip, sausages, soups, casseroles, sandwich fillings and other ready meals from Waitrose, Tesco, Asda, Sainsburys, Marks & Spencer and Morrisons have all been inadvertently contaminated.
Vegetarian ready meals and low calorie ranges by Weight Watchers have also been affected.
Advertisement
Affected goods have been removed from shelves and consumers are advised not to eat any polluted foods they have bought, but to contact the store for a refund.
Dr Jon Bell, FSA chief executive, said: “There’s no question that this sort of substance shouldn’t be in the food supply and people shouldn’t be expected to eat it.
“Sudan I could contribute to an increased risk of cancer. However, at the levels present the risk is likely to be very small, but it is sensible to avoid eating any more. There is no risk of immediate ill health.
“If people are concerned they should consult their doctor or NHS Direct but I would like to stress the risk is very small indeed.
“The Agency is working with the industry to ensure that any remaining affected products are speedily removed.
Advertisement
“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.”
He said the “vast majority” of affected foods had been removed from the shelves and added: “It’s a question of what people have got in their houses.”
Sudan I is banned in the UK and the EU, and since July 2003 all chilli powder imported into the UK has to be certified free of the dye, which is used to colour solvents, oils, waxes, petrol, and shoe and floor polishes.
But the FSA said this rogue batch predates a random sampling programme run by the FSA and local councils, and was uncovered after sampling Worcester sauce produced by Premier Foods exported to Italy.
Dr Bell said the Agency was “very surprised” that the dye had entered the UK food chain after “years of stringent checks”.
Advertisement
Asked what punishment the FSA might enforce, he said: “We are going to look very carefully to see what future action we can take, but it’s too early to say.
“We shall talk to industry representatives. We shall check that all our procedures are adequate.
“This is a very unfortunate event and it shouldn’t have happened. It’s the result of an old stock of an old chilli powder.”
An FSA spokeswoman said: “Being exposed to a substance that could contribute to the development of cancer does not necessarily mean that you will develop cancer.
“Some restaurants and takeaways have been using products containing Sudan I. These products are being withdrawn.”
Advertisement
She added that Premier Foods obtained the chilli powder from Essex-based spice and herb specialist Unbar Rothon, which in turned received it from East Anglian Food Ingredients, also in Essex. Investigations are continuing into how the chilli powder was contaminated with the dye.
Premier Foods, based in St Albans, Hertfordshire, owns a number of well-known brands, and its share price dipped after the FSA announcement today.