“Those with a peanut allergy should avoid consuming products"
A UK peanut allergy warning has been traced to a producer in India.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has advised people with a peanut allergy to avoid eating foods that may contain mustard because they could be contaminated with peanuts.
Mustard ingredients – including mustard powder or flour – can be found in dips, sauces, salads and pre-packaged sandwiches.
The FSA is trying to identify how many products may be affected.
Approximately 50 products have already been recalled.
Parents of children with a peanut allergy should check the labels of food they are buying and ask restaurants and takeaways about food that might contain mustard.
Some of the products being recalled or removed from sale because they may contain peanuts include Domino’s dips, SPAR sandwich fillers and salads, and Harvester BBQ sauce.
The FSA has traced the contaminated mustard ingredients to an Indian firm called GT Agro Industries.
A company called FGS Ingredients has been identified as supplying their mustard ingredients for use in UK food.
Due to how serious allergic reactions to peanuts can be, the FSA says it is taking a precautionary approach so that people with allergies can keep themselves safe.
Rebecca Sudworth, director of food policy at the FSA, said:
“Those with a peanut allergy should avoid consuming products containing mustard as an ingredient until we identify the individual products affected.
“As soon as we have more information, we will update consumers.”
According to the Food Standards Agency, if there is a presence of mustard in food, it should be labelled in bold on the packet because it is an allergen itself.
If there is a risk that mustard could be unintentionally in food products, there will be a “may contain” label for mustard.
Peanuts are a common food allergy.
A peanut allergy is believed to affect one in 50 children and in many schools, the ingredient is now banned.
An allergic reaction occurs when the body reacts to the protein found in peanuts.
Symptoms can range from mild to very serious for some.
Common symptoms of a food allergy include:
- Feeling dizzy
- Itchy skin or raised rash
- Swelling of the lips, face and eyes
- Coughing, breathlessness or noisy breathing
- Feeling sick or being sick
- Tummy pain
- Diarrhoea
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