Illegal food colour still poses risk to food chain

By staff reporter

- Last updated on GMT

Related tags Food

Efforts to detect carcinogenic colours in foodstuffs still a
priority for the food industry as Europe's risk system flags up
illegal red colours in spices from India.

Through the EU-25 network Germany informed member states last week of eight different cases where food products had been contaminated by dyes Sudan 1 and Sudan IV.

Used in shoe polish and industrial products, these banned red dyes are considered a cancer risk by the EU.

But the dye hit the headlines in February this year when UK authorities detected this potentially carcinogenic colour in chilli powder, used in a batch of Worcester sauce supplied by St.Albans-based firm Premier Foods.

Supplying both retail and industrial ingredient markets, the discovery sparked a recall of over 600 processed food products, ands cost run into millions of euros.

This, despite rules that require all imports of chilli and chilli products - including curry powder - cross the EU border with a certificate that proves they are Sudan-free.

The Commission looked disparagingly on the UK recall, reminding the food industry of their duty to test stocks - particularly old stocks - prior to using in formulations.

"Old stocks of chilli from before June 2003 appear still to be used by food processors. Certain industrial operators have not faced up to their responsibilities and cleaned up their stocks of raw material,"​ European health commissioner Markos Kyprianou said at the time of the recall.

But last week German authorities notified Europe's rapid alert system​, the bloc's tool for exchanging information on measures taken to ensure food safety, on the discovery of Sudan 1 and Sudan IV in turmeric, curry, red chilli powders.

Indeed, each week it would seem the tracking system throws up this illegal red colour in a foodstuff on a supermarket shelf somewhere in Europe.

Related topics Policy Food Safety & Quality

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