Illegal red dye contaminates UK food
watchdog finds the illegal carcinogenic red dye Sudan I in batches
of curry powder.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) said this week that the firm Natco Foods has withdrawn four of its madras and mild curry powder products from the market after they were found to be contaminated with Sudan I.
The recall comes after a European clampdown earlier this year that saw Brussels declaring an emergency measure extending rules on the illegal carcinogenic red chemical dyes, to include curry powder.
The rule extends the paper trail for ingredients, requiring that imports of chilli and chilli products - including curry powder - can only cross the EU border with proof they are free of the illegal chemical dyes - Sudan I, Sudan II, Sudan III or Scarlet Red (Sudan IV).
The rulings extended tight measures already in place since June 2003 when France initally alerted the European Commission to traces of Sudan 1 found in chilli and chilli powder.
That the rules now include curry powder, found extensively in European food products, means more paperwork and potentially a surge in product recalls for the food industry.
The issue started in May 2003 with the discovery of the illegal Sudan 1 in chilli and chilli products, since then, via feedback through Europe's Rapid Alert System, the Commission has identified more related substances.
In the UK alone the food industry has recalled for destruction more than 160 products - ranging from pesto sauce to chicken tikka masala - from the supermarket shelves since July 2003 and enforcement of the new measures.
From now on, chilli and chilli products including curry powder can only be imported into the EU if they are accompanied by an analytical report which shows that they do not contain Sudan I, Sudan II, Sudan III or Scarlet Red (Sudan IV) - classified as carcinogens by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
