Domestic Goddess
30-04-05, 03:07 PM
Jars of paprika are being recalled after a potentially cancer-causing dye was found in them.
Traces of Para Red, similar to Sudan 1, were found in the ground paprika products made by Bart Spices Ltd.
The company has withdrawn all its jars sold in the UK, including those sold under the Co-op supermarket label.
Store chains Waitrose and Somerfield are among those to have taken the product down from its shelves.
Tesco has withdrawn all its own-brand BBQ rice cakes after they were found to contain the dye as well as the illegal Sudan 1.
The affected products are Bart Paprika, 48g (glass jar) - Batch Code 5032 Best Before End Dec 2007 and Batch Code 5089 Best Before End Dec 2007. The other recall is Co-op Paprika, 46g (glass jar) - Batch Code 5075 Best Before End Feb 2007.
Scientists from the Food Standards Agency said "it would be prudent to assume that Para Red could be a genotoxic carcinogen", although the risks were small.
Fears over the dye were first raised on April 21 when the Agency warned that some seasoning in the Old El Paso Dinner Kits contained it.
A spokesman for Bart Spices Ltd said: "We took the immediate decision to withdraw our ground paprika spice from all outlets selling the product and advertised a product recall in the national press."
The company has launched an investigation to find out how the due entered its products.
Traces of Para Red, similar to Sudan 1, were found in the ground paprika products made by Bart Spices Ltd.
The company has withdrawn all its jars sold in the UK, including those sold under the Co-op supermarket label.
Store chains Waitrose and Somerfield are among those to have taken the product down from its shelves.
Tesco has withdrawn all its own-brand BBQ rice cakes after they were found to contain the dye as well as the illegal Sudan 1.
The affected products are Bart Paprika, 48g (glass jar) - Batch Code 5032 Best Before End Dec 2007 and Batch Code 5089 Best Before End Dec 2007. The other recall is Co-op Paprika, 46g (glass jar) - Batch Code 5075 Best Before End Feb 2007.
Scientists from the Food Standards Agency said "it would be prudent to assume that Para Red could be a genotoxic carcinogen", although the risks were small.
Fears over the dye were first raised on April 21 when the Agency warned that some seasoning in the Old El Paso Dinner Kits contained it.
A spokesman for Bart Spices Ltd said: "We took the immediate decision to withdraw our ground paprika spice from all outlets selling the product and advertised a product recall in the national press."
The company has launched an investigation to find out how the due entered its products.