SHOPKEEPERS in Swindon have been asked to remove curry powder from their shelves, which contains a cancerous dye.

Environmental health officers from Swindon Council will visit shopkeepers across the town asking them not to sell Rajah Premium hot and mild curry powders which have a best before date of up to and including June 2008.

They have been found to contain the cancerous red dye Sudan 1.

In February the Advertiser reported that Swindon trading standards officers had sent out 1,300 letters warning of the dangers of products containing Sudan 1 after a list was published by the Food Standards Agency.

An Adver investigation then found stores in Swindon which were still selling foods on the banned list.

Phil Thomas, a team leader in the trading standards department, explained the latest warning

"It seems to be a really on-going problem particularly with chilli powder.

"This is because of the way that chilli powder is bought and sold and the fact that there is a big advantage to having brightly coloured chilli.

"The brighter the colour the more value it is perceived to have, so there is an incentive to adding colour to it. It is not a naturally occurring colour."

He explained that there had been difficulty in tracing all the foods that contain Sudan 1 but that new European laws passed in January had helped matters.

"The dye is added somewhere between the source and when its sold on the open market.

"This always happens before it reaches the UK.

"It can be very difficult to trace and to track down the source of the food, but that has been helped by the EU's new requirement of traceability.

"Now manufacturers need to know by law where their products end up.

"So we should be able to trace through the food chain the source of the food and where it ends up."

He is urging any shopkeepers with doubts about the food on their shelves to contact the food and health and safety department at Swindon Council or the manufacturer of the food.

Residents who have consumed any of the products that are affected should also contact the council.

The number is 01793 463117.

The Rajah Premium Hot Curry Powders that have been recalled are:

The 100g tins marked best before June 2008; 425g tins marked June 2008; 400g packets marked June 2007.

Also recalled are the following: 100g tins marked best before June 2008; 425g tins marked June 2008; 400g packets marked June 2008.

History of the scare

IN FEBRUARY a list was published by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) of all the foods containing Sudan 1 dye.

On February 22 the Adver carried out an undercover investigation of food from the list that was still being sold in Swindon shops.

We checked 13 small convenience stores in the town and found four selling food banned by the FSA.

The results of the investigation were published on February 23. We found banned foods including pot noodles and Weight Watcher's Shepherds pie in the following stores: Bhatia Stores in Crombey Street; RSN Premier Corner Shop in Kent Road; Sultan Mini Market in Eastcott Hill; Nythe Mini Market Food and Wine.

At the time Robert Taylour of Swindon Council's Public Protection Group said it was the biggest food scare the council had had to deal with.

Diana Milne