Chilli powder imported from India containing Sudan I dye used in Dragon Brand and O'Kane Food Service curry sauce

Tuesday 30 September 2003

Category C: For action as necessary: NORTHERN IRELAND ONLY.

Chief Environmental Health Officers will wish to be aware that contaminated chilli powder containing an illegal dye Sudan I, has been imported into the country from India and used in Dragon Brand and O’Kane Food Service brand products packed by Dragon Brand Foods, Orchard Road Industrial Estate, Strabane.

Sudan I is not a permitted colour under the Colours in Food Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996. It is considered to be a genotoxic carcinogen and its presence, at any level, is not permitted in foodstuffs for any purpose.

The Dragon brand and O’Kane Food Service products listed below have been identified as containing Sudan I. The company has, on 29 September 2003, undertaken a trade withdrawal of these products with all date codes up until 19 September 2004. Products with date codes later than 19 September 2004 are not affected

Products:

• Dragon Brand Curry Sauce 200g
• Dragon Brand Curry Sauce 5kg
• O’Kane Food Service Curry Sauce 4.5kg

Further assistance in identifying the products can be obtained from the links below where photographs of the containers are available.

The products affected have been distributed in Northern Ireland through the following wholesalers and distributors:

• PRM Distributors, Lisburn – Dragon Brand 200g
• Holmes Cash and Carry, Enniskillen – Dragon Brand 5kg
• Holmes Cash and Carry, Cookstown – Dragon Brand 5kg
• Holmes Cash and Carry, Coleraine – Dragon Brand 5kg
• Mac’s Quality Foods, Dunmurry – Dragon Brand 5kg
• Hughes Frozen Foods, Warrenpoint – Dragon Brand 5kg
• Western Catering Supplies, Omagh - Dragon Brand 5kg
• Aghadowey Food Services, Coleraine – Dragon Brand 5kg
• Savage and Whitten Cash and Carry, Newry – Dragon Brand 5kg
• O’Kane Food Services, Lisburn – O’Kane Food Service 4.5kg

The products have also been supplied to the following retailers and caterers:

• McColgans Food Hall, Strabane – Dragon Brand 5kg
• Melmount Chippy, Strabane – Dragon Brand 5kg
• Ali’s Takeaway, Ballymagorry – Dragon Brand 5kg
• Ron’s Takeaway, Donemana – Dragon Brand 5kg
• Burke’s Takeaway, Claudy – Dragon Brand 5kg
• Gregory’s Meats, Ballykelly – Dragon Brand 200g and 5kg
• Cassidy’s Caf¿, Eglinton – Dragon Brand 200g and 5kg
• Railway Meats, Coleraine – Dragon Brand 200g
• Mountsandel Meats, Coleraine – Dragon Brand 200g and 5kg

Action to be taken by district councils:

The products detailed above present a health risk if consumed in sufficient quantity, and do not comply with the food safety requirements specified in the Food Safety (Northern Ireland) Order 1991 due to contamination with Sudan I. In addition, it is not a permitted colour under the Colours in Food Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996.

District Councils, within whose area the above businesses are located, are requested to contact the premises concerned to verify that the trade withdrawal from those premises has been effective.

If any of these products are found within their area, enforcement officers should ensure that they are withdrawn and destroyed, if necessary using powers under The Food Safety (NI) Order 1991.

If District Councils are approached by the local media on this issue they may wish to refer to the Food Standards Agency’s press release which was released on 30 September (see below).