BEIJING - US food giant Heinz has issued a recall of chilli sauces, chilli oils and other products in China suspected of containing a cancer-causing agent at the center of a European health scare, state press said Monday.
The recall came after the red dye, Sudan-I, was found last week in a pepper sauce made by a Heinz subsidiary, the Heinz Meiweiyuan Food Co. based in Guangzhou, capital of southern China's Guangdong province.
Following the discovery, the State Administration for Quality Supervision and Inspection and Quarantine ordered the company to immediately recall all suspected products and banned their sale.
"Heinz has told its distributors and sales agencies across the country to recall the suspected products," Charles Chyi, regional president of Heinz (China) Investment Co Ltd., said Sunday, the China Daily reported.
Company officials released a statement later Monday saying Heinz was cooperating with authorities over their investigation.
"Although the relevant investigation is still ongoing, from what we understand the Sudan-I very likely came from the pepper extract supplied by one of our raw material suppliers," a company statement said.
According to a local quality supervision department, six products produced by Heinz companies were suspected of containing Sudan-I, the China Daily said.
Supermarkets in Guangdong's capital have been ordered to stop selling pepper-related products manufactured by Heinz, the China Daily quoted an official with the Guangdong quality supervision administration as saying.
The authorities there Sunday launched a province-wide inspection of pepper and sauce-related products and would also inspect Heinz's food suppliers and related companies this week to find the sources of Sudan-I.
The cancer-causing dye was found by the Food Standards Agency of Britain on February 18 in a batch of chilli powder made by Premier Foods, one of the country's largest food and beverage companies.
The agency also found the dye in products of companies such as Schweppes, Coca Cola and Unilever.
Sudan-I is traditionally used for coloring solvents, oils, waxes, petrol and shoe and floor polishes.
03/07/2005 12:10 GMT