THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2005
KFC in cancerous red dye scare
AFP
BEIJING: Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) outlets in China have stopped selling their New Orleans roast chicken wings and chicken hamburgers after a cancer-causing food colouring, Sudan I, was found in the sauce, state media said on Thursday.
According to a statement released on Wednesday by Yum, KFC's parent company, the remaining "unsafe" sauce will be destroyed, the Xinhua news agency said.
Yum did not release the name of the sauce supplier. "We feel deep sorry for this food safety accident and promise it will never happen again," Xinhua quoted the statement as saying.
The statement also said KFC has found a new sauce supplier and the New Orleans roast chicken wing is expected to be back on sale next week. KFC could not immediately be reached for comment.
The company is highly successful in China, with 1,200 outlets in 260 cities nationwide.
Sudan I is a red dye traditionally used for colouring solvents, oils, waxes, petrol and shoe and floor polishes. It cannot safely be used in food as it can increase the risk of cancer.
At the center of a European health scare, the dye has also been found in 12 provinces and municipalities in China, sparking recalls of suspect products.
The suspect products all came from a raw materials provider, the Guangzhou-based Tianyang Food Co Ltd, according to China's General Administration for Industry and Commerce (GAIC).
Earlier this month, Sudan I was discovered in a pepper sauce made by a Heinz subsidiary, the Heinz Meiweiyuan Food Co. based in Guangzhou, capital of southern Guangdong province.
The US food giant issued a recall of chilli sauces, chilli oils and other products in China suspected of containing the agent.
The 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.
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