FSAI to update list of illegal dye foodstuffs

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) is to publish a new list of foods contaminated with an illegal carcinogenic colourant, Sudan Red 1, today.

Staff at the FSAI have been working throughout the weekend to update the list of foods known to have been adulterated by the banned food colourant, and to ensure that all retailers and restaurants were no longer selling or using contaminated products.

A spokeswoman for the authority said last night that the updated list would feature "one or two" additional products.

Walkers Worcester sauce crisps are likely to be one of the new additions to the list. The crisps were withdrawn in the UK over the weekend after they were found to have traces of the colourant. They are sold in Ireland as part of a variety pack, and Tesco Ireland said they have been informed by the manufacturers that they should be removed from sale.

Sudan Red 1 is an industrial dye normally used for colouring solvents, wax, petrol and floor and shoe polish. It has been banned for use in food since 2003 after it was found to have carcinogenic properties.

The current food scare originates from a contaminated batch of chilli powder imported to Britain from India and used by Premier Foods (UK) in the manufacture of Worcester sauce. Premier Foods supplied the sauce to a number of branded companies and to the manufacturers of other food products, such as ready-made meals, soups and crisps.

Popular convenience foods, including Pot Noodle, Cross and Blackwell Worcester sauce, and a number of ready-made meals by Tesco, Heinz, Iceland and Bird's Eye, are known to have been contaminated with the colourant.

The FSAI chief executive, Dr John O'Brien, said the contaminated batch may have been in circulation for up to two years.

Dr O'Brien said the FSAI does regularly check imported chilli powder for Sudan Red 1, but was unable to identify its use in this case because Worcester sauce was listed as an ingredient in itself on the products concerned.

The list of contaminated foods can be found at www.fsai.ie.