Ongoing investigations in the UK continue to unearth food products contaminated by the potential carcinogen Sudan 1, several months after EU laid down emergency measures to block imports of chilli powder contaminated with the red dye.
The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) rolled off a list of food products recalled this week due to contamination with the illegal dye.
The food company Netto issued a product recall of its 392g cans of Chilli Con Carne, due to contamination of one of the ingredients with Sudan I. The product was manufactured by Glenbrook Foods, Portadown, Craigavon Northern Ireland.
Other products known to have been contaminated are Bilash Premium Chicken Curry in 400g cans, on sale in Aldi supermarkets, UM Glenbrook Chilli Con Carne 368g at Tescos and Plumrose Chilli Con Carne 1.7kg sold at Sainsbury's. All the products were produced by Glenbrook Foods.
Sudan I is not a permitted colour under the Colours in Food Regulations 1995. It is considered to be a genotoxic carcinogen and its presence, at any level, is not permitted in foodstuffs for any purpose.
When France discovered products contaminated with Sudan 1 in May this year, it immediately took interim protective measures and simultaneously informed the Commission and other Member States of the risk through the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed. The EU's Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health (SCFCAH) reacted with a range of emergency control measures.
"We have already identified some relishes, chutneys and seasonings that people should avoid and our investigations are on-going," said David Statham, FSA director of food standards and enforcement at the time. "There should not be any Sudan I in food," he stressed. The fact that the authorities are continuing to find this illegal dye in UK food products suggests that investigations should be kept on track and food agencies and government bodies across Europe should remain vigilant.