Details of the contaminated product being recalled:

• Product: Mix Bisar
• Description: Orange brown powder
• Quantity: 800g in plastic bags
• Labelling: White paper label includes details of Alif Foods and Euro Traders
• Packing date: March 2008
• Expiry date: February 2010

A photo of the product can be found at the link below.

The product is manufactured and exported by Euro Traders in Pakistan. The product, which is imported into the UK by Alif Foods, is believed to be mainly sold in the Bradford area by ethnic food wholesalers and retailers. However, it could be sold in other areas, particularly in northern England.

Sudan I dye has been shown to cause cancer in laboratory animals and these findings could also be significant for human health. Because the dye might contribute to the development of cancer in people, it is not considered safe to eat.

But there is no immediate risk of illness. At the levels found in these foods the risk is likely to be very small.

Local authorities have been asked to visit or make contact with ethnic food suppliers in their area that are likely to stock the product.

If the contaminated product is found to be on the premises, local authority enforcement officers should:

• remove and destroy the product using the powers under the Food Safety Act 1990
• encourage food business operators to display point-of-sale notices explaining the reasons for recall to consumers

If a local authority finds any other packing or date codes of the product, it should sample the product for Sudan I dye and tell the Agency of any positive results. The local authority should also make sure appropriate enforcement action is taken.

Full details of the actions to be taken by local authorities can be found at the link below.

If there is a problem with a food product that means it should not be sold, then it might be 'withdrawn' (taken off the shelves) or 'recalled' (when customers are asked to return the product). Food alerts are the FSA's way of letting local authorities and consumers know about problems associated with food and, in some cases, providing details of specific action to be taken. They are issued under two categories:

• Food Alerts: for Action
• Food Alerts: for Information

You can get FSA alerts either by email or SMS text. Visit the Get Alerts page at the link below to find out how.

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