Agency updates warning about contaminated chilli products

Friday 22 August 2003

Ref: 2003/0402

The Food Standards Agency today warned that more food products have been sold in the UK containing chilli powder illegally contaminated with the chemical dye Sudan I, which could cause cancer, although there is no immediate threat of illness.

Those most at risk would be people eating contaminated products regularly over a long time, but anyone who has purchased a contaminated product should either throw it away, or return it and request a refund from the shop where it was purchased.

A range of products including chutneys, relishes and a pasta sauce are distributed by five companies - Dart Valley Foods, Home Recipe Foods, Farmhouse Products, Elizabeth Smedley Speciality Foods, and Farmhouse Preserves - to more than 2000 small retailers, including farm shops, delicatessens and small supermarkets across the UK.

The affected products can be identified by their clear glass jars, paper bonnet lids and front labels with the name of the product written in distinctive black and white 'handwriting'.

Each product is either labelled with the name of the individual shop selling the product, or one of the following five brand names: 'Butlers Grove', 'Elizabeth Smedley Speciality Foods', 'Home Recipe Foods' or 'Farmhouse Products'. Only products listed below and with a Best Before date of any date up to 01 June 2005 are affected:

Company: Dart Valley Foods (own brand Butlers Grove)

Product	Size
Tangy Tomato Relish	300g
Very Hot Spicy Chutney	300g
Curried Fruit Chutney	300g
Onion Chutney	300g
Mild Chilli Relish	300g
Hot Mango Chutney	300g
Tomato and Ginger Chutney	285g
Barbecue Relish	300g
Hot Pepper and Aubergine Relish	280g
Louisiana Creole Pasta Sauce	300g
Spicy Apricot Chutney	300g

Company: Home Recipe Foods (own brand Home Recipe Foods)

Product	Size
Flaming Hot Chutney	300g
Curried Fruit Chutney	300g
Onion Chutney	300g
Hot Mango Chutney	300g
Barbecue Relish	300g
Hot Red Pepper and Aubergine Relish	280g
Spicy Tomato Relish	300g
Tomato and Chilli Relish	300g
Tomato and Garlic Chutney	300g

Company: Farmhouse Products (own brand Farmhouse Products)

Product	Size
Tomato and Garlic Chutney	300g

Company: Elizabeth Smedley Speciality Foods (own brand Elizabeth Smedley Speciality Foods)

Product	Size
Fire Eaters Chutney	300g
Curried Fruit Chutney	300g
Red Pepper and Aubergine Relish	280g

Company: Farmhouse Preserves

Product	Size
Devilled Hot Spicy Chutney	311g

Photographs of products can be found attached below. Updates on any further products found to be contaminated with Sudan I will be placed on the Food Standards Agency website as the information becomes available.

The Agency identified these products as part of its continuing investigation into Sudan I in chilli powder. The five distribution companies have been asked to ensure that these products are withdrawn from sale. This follows the recall by two other companies last month of a range of affected food products.

The contaminated chilli powder has been imported from India, where certain producers have been adulterating their product with the red dye. Anyone wanting more information on products and where they are sold, should contact the distribution companies directly on the numbers below:

Dart Valley Foods 01256 397979
Home Recipe Foods 01858 438001
Farmhouse Products 01477 500660
Elizabeth Smedley Speciality Foods 01765 640680
Farmhouse Preserves 01423 780996