Premier Foods is at the centre of a fresh Sudan 1 probe after another contaminated product had to be hauled off shelves, sparking fears that the supplier may have a new problem.
Investigators are racing to establish whether the withdrawal of a Loyd Grossman-branded red lentil dhansak sauce is connected to the initial scare, because Premier has so far failed to establish the cause of the latest contamination.
The supplier, which has been blamed for triggering Britain’s biggest packaged foods recall after a carcinogenic Worcester sauce ingredient found its way into some 580 products, is running urgent tests.
The Food Standards Agency
has added the incident to its ongoing investigation into the food scare.
Premier Foods said the latest problem was brought to light by “rigorous testing regimes”, under which the manufacturer tests finished products as well as those in production.
A spokeswoman said: “At the moment we are in the middle of testing whether this is related to the first batch or where in fact it has come from.”
The Food Standards Agency is looking at how the dye came to be present in the sauce and why it was not detected previously.
A spokesman said: “We do not comment on individual companies. However, all are under a legal duty to provide food fit for public consumption and remove any from sale that is not and if they fail to do so they can be prosecuted.
“Our investigation into Sudan 1 is ongoing.”
Meanwhile, an FSA investigation into the Asda Chicken Pizza Flatbread recall that triggered a separate Sudan 1 scare two weeks ago has concluded that no further action is necessary. Manufacturer Stateside Pizza triggered the alert when a batch tested positive for the dye.
The contamination was attributed to a sauce supplied by Keddie Saucemasters, but subsequent tests have failed to show any trace of Sudan 1.
MPs this week called for an immediate government investigation into the events which led to the original scandal and the biggest food recall in UK history.
The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee has demanded a government probe into how the dye made its way into the UK food chain, how long the contaminated chilli powder had been in circulation and why it remained undetected for so long.
Amy Balchin & Fiona McLelland
Investigators are racing to establish whether the withdrawal of a Loyd Grossman-branded red lentil dhansak sauce is connected to the initial scare, because Premier has so far failed to establish the cause of the latest contamination.
The supplier, which has been blamed for triggering Britain’s biggest packaged foods recall after a carcinogenic Worcester sauce ingredient found its way into some 580 products, is running urgent tests.
The Food Standards Agency
has added the incident to its ongoing investigation into the food scare.
Premier Foods said the latest problem was brought to light by “rigorous testing regimes”, under which the manufacturer tests finished products as well as those in production.
A spokeswoman said: “At the moment we are in the middle of testing whether this is related to the first batch or where in fact it has come from.”
The Food Standards Agency is looking at how the dye came to be present in the sauce and why it was not detected previously.
A spokesman said: “We do not comment on individual companies. However, all are under a legal duty to provide food fit for public consumption and remove any from sale that is not and if they fail to do so they can be prosecuted.
“Our investigation into Sudan 1 is ongoing.”
Meanwhile, an FSA investigation into the Asda Chicken Pizza Flatbread recall that triggered a separate Sudan 1 scare two weeks ago has concluded that no further action is necessary. Manufacturer Stateside Pizza triggered the alert when a batch tested positive for the dye.
The contamination was attributed to a sauce supplied by Keddie Saucemasters, but subsequent tests have failed to show any trace of Sudan 1.
MPs this week called for an immediate government investigation into the events which led to the original scandal and the biggest food recall in UK history.
The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee has demanded a government probe into how the dye made its way into the UK food chain, how long the contaminated chilli powder had been in circulation and why it remained undetected for so long.
Amy Balchin & Fiona McLelland
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