Fife Council's Environmental Health team highlight national allergy warning

Fife Council's Environmental Heath Team is keen to highlight a national allergy alert affecting people with a peanut allergy.

Food Standards Scotland (FSS) and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) is advising people  who have a peanut allergy to avoid consuming foods that contain or may contain mustard ingredients, following information that mustard ingredients may be contaminated with peanuts.

The food business FGS Ingredients Limited who import mustard to manufacture spice products including curry powders, seasonings and spice blends from India, have undertaken a precautionary withdrawal and recall of all products containing mustard.

Both the FSS and FSA continue to advise people who have a peanut allergy to avoid consuming any foods that contain or may contain mustard, mustard seeds, mustard powder or mustard flour because of potential widespread contamination with peanuts.

Lisa McCann, Service Manager for Environmental Health at Fife Council said: "These products have been used in various other products such as spice products. The spice products include curry powders, seasonings and spice blends containing mustard. Where these products are used as an ingredient they may pose a risk to consumers with a peanut allergy, as they may have been contaminated with peanuts.

"If you can’t see the allergen information when you eat out, speak to staff and if in any doubt do not consume.

"It's important that food businesses are also aware of this and take action if they stock or use the affected products. We are working to make sure that local businesses most likely to be affected are aware of and are acting on our advice."

The latest news and alerts are available on the Food Standards Scotland website: https://www.foodstandards.gov.scot/news-and-alerts