Illegal dye found in British food

Wednesday, February 23, 2005

London, Dublin - The illegal food dye Sudan Red 1, derived from chillies and banned in the EU since 2003, due to an associated risk of cancer has been found in several hundred products on European shelves. Products containing the illegal ingredient range from crisps, pizzas, casseroles and various chicken products to dozens of seasonings and sauces. The Italian food authorities found the illegal dye over routine checks, and thus alerted the British and subsequently the Irish authorities.

The dye found its way into the European food supply as a primary ingredient in a batch of Crosse and Blackwell Worcester Sauce ingredient manufactured in Britain by Premier Foods, which was then used in all of the affected food products. As a result of the find over 400 products have been withdrawn in the UK and Ireland. The financial cost of recalling all the affected products in Britain alone is expected to top £100m, €145m.

Despite the recall many industry experts are trying to calm the public. One common analogy in use is, "Just like one cigarette is unlikely to cause cancer on its own, one meal containing Sudan Red is also unlikely to cause cancer." The problem is, if people regularly consume the dye, then the risk of cancer is greatly increased.

Which products are affected

Several lists have been published by the UK and Irish food standard authorities. All products on the following lists contain the dye and should either be thrown out or returned to the shop where purchased:

Food Safety Authority of Ireland - List of Irish Products affected, February 21, 2005
UK Food Standards Agency - List of UK Products affected, February 23, 2005

Sources

Press Releases

"Press Release: Sudan Red 1 related Product Recall" — Food Safety Authority of Ireland, February 18, 2005
"Press Release: Sudan I product list 18 February 2005" — Food Standards Agency, February 18, 2005

News Reports

David Derbyshire. "Tories call for inquiry into supermarket food scare" — The Telegraph, February 23, 2005
"Food dye firm in previous scare" — BBC News, February 23, 2005
"Contaminated chilli powder is proving very hard to track down, says David Derbyshire" — The Telegraph, February 23, 2005

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