'Cancer risk' dye used in UK meat

A "small percentage" of burgers and sausages on sale in the UK are made with a red dye which might cause cancer, the food watchdog has said.

The Food Standards Agency recommends that manufacturers drop Red 2G - also known as E128 - from their products.

Its advice follows the results of new European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) research, released on Monday, which described Red 2G as being "of safety concern".

Food Standards Agency officials met with food industry representatives on Tuesday to discuss EFSA's revised evaluation of the food colouring. Under current EU law, limited amounts of Red 2G are still permitted for use in certain types of breakfast sausages and burger meat.

European Commission officials will meet next week to discuss what action to take in light of EFSA's findings. A Food Standards Agency spokeswoman could not say how many products containing E128 were currently on sale in the UK.

The food watchdog said in a statement: "On the basis of the EFSA evaluation, the FSA recommends that food producers cease to use Red 2G."

It added: "The Agency will continue to liaise with stakeholders, including EFSA and the EC about this issue and will review the situation and update our advice as appropriate."

The EFSA experts said Red 2G was converted in the body into a substance called aniline. Following tests on rats and mice, they said aniline should be considered as a carcinogen. "Based on similar metabolism of aniline in animals and humans, a carcinogenic risk for man cannot therefore be excluded," the experts concluded.

EFSA passed its findings to the European Commission. Its re-assessment of Red 2G was part of a wider review of a range of food additives currently authorised for use in the EU.

At present, limited quantities of Red 2G are permitted only for use in sausages with a minimum cereal content of 6% and in burger meat with a minimum vegetable and/or cereal content of 4%.

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