Deadline nears in food dye recall

Sausages are one of the products affected by the recall

Shops and food companies have less than 24 hours to identify all products containing the banned food dye Sudan I, the Food Standards Agency has said.

More than 400 products have been recalled so far after they were found to contain the dye, which has been linked to an increased risk of cancer.

The FSA said firms which did not meet the deadline could face prosecution.

It also said local authorities would check potentially affected food was removed from schools and hospitals.

There's a good chance of getting most of the affected products out of the way. Jenny Morris Institute of Environmental Health Firm in previous scare Q&A: Sudan I

By Thursday morning, the FSA must have been told of all products contaminated by the Sudan I dye and firms must have started removing them, the agency said.

BBC business correspondent Rory Cellan Jones said the food industry was "working frantically" to meet the deadline.

The decision on whether to prosecute those who did not meet it would be up to local authorities, the FSA said.

Click here for the FSA's latest update on the products affected

The Institute of Environmental Health said there could not be any guarantees that all affected foods would be taken off shelves by Thursday.

But the institute's Jenny Morris said: "There are so many people working on this, there is so much publicity around it, that I think there's a good chance of getting most of the affected products out of the way."

The recall of products is the biggest in British history, involving soups, sauces, crisps and ready-meals, and is estimated to be costing £100m.

School checks

Two catering companies have said they provided products which were listed in the recall to schools and hospitals, but immediately ordered their recall.

An FSA spokesman said local authorities were ensuring the foods, which included a Premier Foods Worcester sauce made with chilli powder containing Sudan I, were removed from sale.

What is the health risk?

"The risk is very small. Local authorities are routinely asked to inform and check that food businesses - including the catering departments of schools and hospitals - are withdrawing affected products.

"This is a standard request."

Premier Foods said it was "taking the matter very seriously" and was doing all it could to resolve the problem.

A further list of products was added to the recall list on Tuesday, although there was some confusion over the exact number.

Ten processed products were originally named, then reportedly later revised to seven after questions were raised, although a list of eight products remains published on the FSA website.

That list named 428 products.

The recall was sparked when a consignment of Crosse and Blackwell Worcester sauce was found to have been made with chilli powder containing the Sudan I dye.

It has been shown to cause cancer in laboratory animals - but the risk to consumers is extremely small.