WARNING: Chilli Powder - Sudan is Back - Same Products, Same Shops !!

[Skeptik]

BUST! Two years later, those toxic foods are BACK on our shelves

04 March 2007
Megan Power and Jocelyn Maker

Supermarkets rush to remove contaminated spices from shelves after Sunday Times exposé

THE Sunday Times yesterday sparked a massive countrywide withdrawal of contaminated food from supermarket shelves.

The recall began after Pick ’n Pay, Spar and Shoprite Checkers were told that, for the second time in two years, they were selling spices laced with the banned industrial chemical dyes Sudan 1, 2 , 3 and 4.

It is illegal worldwide to use these dyes in food; they are classified as potentially carcinogenic — cancer-causing — by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of the World Health Organisation.

Over the past two months the Sunday Times has tested spices bought randomly from supermarkets across the country.

Included in testing were the same products originally found tainted in a Sunday Times exposé in March 2005.

The shock results of the analysis, done by SGS South Africa — a leading laboratory which does regular Sudan testing for some major industry players — revealed that of the samples tested, six were contaminated with one or more of the Sudan dyes.

All six implicated products were culprits in the 2005 food-cancer scandal. Included is a peri-peri spice made by Robertsons, a Unilever company with the lion’s share of the spice market, and two Taj Mahal spice products made by Osman’s Spice Works, a big spice merchant.

Sudan dyes are legally used to colour petrol, waxes, floor and shoe polish and cosmetics. Just a kilogram will colour tens of thousands of litres of oil and turn 50 million candles orange.

They are used illegally in foods to enhance the colour of chilli powders

Yesterday Pick ’n Pay responded swiftly to the Sunday Times alert, withdrawing all implicated products.

It has also warned that if, after further investigation, it was found that there had been “deliberate negligence” on the part of any of the implicated suppliers, they would discontinue stocking the products and possibly blacklist the supplier.

Said chief executive Nick Badminton: “Should further tests confirm the results from the Sunday Times, we will be extremely angry that any supplier would pointedly ignore a directive of our company and potentially put consumers at risk.”

Meanwhile, consumer bodies have reacted with outrage.

Chairman of the National Consumer Forum Thami Bolani said this second scandal was further proof that big business was more interested in “super profits” than the health of consumers.

“It’s a disgrace that after the first exposé, foods contaminated with this dye are still available. It is also again an indictment on government, especially the Department of Health, because clearly it has no capacity to ensure that retail stores only sell products that do not undermine the health and safety of consumers.”

But in an interview with the Director-General of Health, Thami Mseleku, and the Director of Food Control, Dr Dries Pretorius, on Friday, the department said that on its scale of food-safety risks, Sudan was not high.

“The ultimate would be to have a food-safety agency, but it’s costly and because of other major health challenges, it’s not going to happen in the near future,” said Mseleku.

Department of Health spokesman Sibane Mngadi said yesterday that an urgent meeting had been called by the department with the Consumer Goods Council, which represents manufacturers and retailers.

“We will take samples of the implicated products to have them tested and will ask local municipalities to randomly take products off the shelves for testing. Those contaminated will be withdrawn and the public will be told,” he said.

Brian Weyers, marketing director of the Shoprite Group, said it was dismayed that products laced with the banned substance had again found their way into the market.

“This comes despite written confirmation from the food manufacturing industry that the country’s spice is free from the dye.

“The Shoprite Group has removed products that are suspected to contain Sudan and has instructed national and international supplier companies to do likewise in the supply chain.

“It is disappointing that major suppliers do not abide by the disciplines of food safety,” Weyers said.

The South African National Consumer Union’s Ina Wilken said somebody was not doing their job.

“Where is the food-safety control taxpayers deserve? Where are the health inspectors? Why are industry and retailers not doing anything about this?” asked Wilken, who also chairs the South African Bureau of Standards’ consumer sector board.

The chief executive of Spar Group, Wayne Hook, said a withdrawal of implicated products in its 800-plus stores was under way.

“We will have to call these suppliers in and haul them over the coals,” said Hook.

Robertsons spokesman Christine Broadhurst said that until it fully investigated the implicated product, it could only suspect that the test was inaccurate or that the product had been tampered with.

“Since 2005, the chilli industry has significantly increased the quality regime . Robertson s purchases the bulk of its chillies from the Indian chilli board, whch now has international best practice in quality control.

“We have certification from them of every batch of chillies since 2005 showing that all our batches are clear ... as a further control Robertsons tests every batch of chillies ... with either an international laboratory or the industry-recommended local laboratory, Ampath.”

Ismail Osman, from Durban-based Osman’s Spice Works, said he would only accept that his products were contaminated once he had conducted his own tests.

Lucia Anelich, from the Consumer Goods Council of South Africa, said: “Industry should never have allowed this to happen.”

Wilken said: “If consumers don’t rise up and cause a national outcry over this, then I’ll be very concerned. Consumers must demand accountability from government and industry. They must stand up and say enough is enough.”
http://www.sundaytimes.co.za/PrintEdition/Article.aspx?id=402062

Here we go again ..

 

[Adeptus Mechanicus]

Ahhh crap.

I hope somebody nails the fsuckers now. Clearly an issue of cutting of cutting corners at the public's expense.

 

[TELESPHORE]

When I heard about this from a family member I first thought it was a hoax. Now it does seem to be true.

If confirmed, these people should be imposed huge and hurtful fines and the money given to cancer research and treatment.

They should also not be allowed to increase their prices to cover the fine.

Next time it happens, they should be shut down permanently and they assets forfeited to the state, because then it is organized crime.

 

[Syndyre]

If this was the US they would've been bankrupted by lawsuits long ago. probably not a bad thing either, at least it ensures accountability.

 

[marine1]

Borders on murder or at least attempted murder. F-ing bastards.

 

[TELESPHORE]

Unilever has responded. Lets wait and see all reports:

http://www.fin24.co.za/articles/default/display_article.aspx?Nav=ns&ArticleID=1518-24_2078312

 

[pe_dude]

sudan red - my 10c worth

hi all,

this sudan red thing will never go away, companies will always look for ways to cut costs - our health and general well being does not matter. they need to make a profit and its at our expense. not money wise, but HEALTH wise.

do you like spicy food? do yourself and your family a favour...

buy a packet of cayenne pepper seeds.

plant them and look after them. plant them initially in potting soil and when they are about 2cm high transplant them in your garden. plant them 10cm apart on all sides. not tooo much sun, afternnon sun is good, water them twice a day, early morning and late afternoon. wait, 90+ days for them to bear fruit, but follow the above instructions everyday. let the fruit turn red - on the tree.

you will get plenty cayenne's - now, dry them. leave them in the sun during the day and get them indoors at night. after a while, not long - they will be very dry - throw them into a spice mill - your blender will also work, just remember - your blender will not be of much use after you grind dry chillies in it. chilly flavour milk shakes wont go down to well with the kids...

now, after you grind them, put the powder in a bottle, then - THIS IS MOST IMPORTANT - go to your local supermarket and buy a container of cayenne pepper - when u get home - compare the 2 - your homepowder vs the store powder - guess what - the store bought powder is mixed with other rubbish - including sudan red. it tries to imitate the real thing, but even with sudan red, it does not even look anything like YOUR home grown chilly powder.

look at THE REAL THING - YOUR POWDER - the colour is a deep, almost maroon red colour, look at the **** you bought, take it back and get a refund.

its full of chemicals - demand a REFUND, also at the same time, take all your store bought spices back - send me a private message if your need a natural equivalent to the store spice rubbish you are currently buying and using.

I DONT SELL spices, i will try to give you a way to replace the powder [ dried ] spices with natural ingredients.

now, when u next buy spice: look at the label - when u see colourants and flavourants - guess what - you are eating ??????? in plain language - ****

i almost forgot - our favourite spice company in SA loves MSG - wanna know what msg does to you and your family? goto http;//www.google.com and in the search box, type in msg.

please feel free to msg me anytime.

 

[marine1]

There should be a class action law suit against whoever is responsible.

 

[Rikus]

Robertsons spokesman Christine Broadhurst said that until it fully investigated the implicated product, it could only suspect that the test was inaccurate or that the product had been tampered with.

 

[bboy]

bugger that.. just make the md's of these companys enjoy some nice heavy sudan red flavoured meals..

 

[mac_mac74]

I worked for one of the major spice companies in CTN a few yrs back, and i know people in another major spice company . What has been established is that samples need to be sent to PTA for testing at +-R800 p/sample, apparently the testing labs in woodstock say they dont do sample testing , although in the Sunday Times , one of the suppliers mentions that he sends samples to Woodstock - was that maybe before they stopped testing samples. All in all, we are getting screwed here, may as well just put a label on the spices like th cigarette co's do: "This product may cause cancer, use at your own risk."

 

[Skeptik]

I was in Checkers and Shoprite the other day. All the obvious products have been removed - the ones that say "Chilli Powder", but not the ones that contain it as an ingredient. In fact the ingredients don't say anything apart from "SPICES". This is the root of the problem I reckon.

So you can still buy ROBERTSONS CAYENNE PEPPER, which also contains chilli powder.

I think a little extra-strength Chilli Powder sprinkled on a certain part of the body would be appropriate for this blunder.

 

[texo]

hi all,
i almost forgot - our favourite spice company in SA loves MSG - wanna know what msg does to you and your family? goto http;//www.google.com and in the search box, type in msg.

please feel free to msg me anytime.

Found that very funny, sorry

Back on topic: I have to agree with most of what you say. There is practically no accountability for food producers in SA. They will try to get away with putting all sorts of rubbish into the food they package if it will help their bottom line.