The Food Standards Agency (FSA) UK is issuing an urgent warning to individuals with peanut allergies to avoid consuming foods containing mustard, mustard powder, or mustard flour, as they may be contaminated with peanuts.
These contaminated mustard ingredients have been traced back to a producer in India, GT Agro Industries, and have been supplied by FGS Ingredients Ltd. to various UK food businesses. While the investigation is ongoing, the FSA is working closely with local authorities, businesses, and the food industry to identify the specific products that may be affected.
Foods such as dips, sauces, salads, and pre-packed sandwiches containing mustard could pose a serious risk to those with peanut allergies.
FSA’s Immediate Actions
The FSA is taking swift action to address the contamination issue and minimize the risk to consumers. In collaboration with local authorities, businesses, and industry representatives, they are working to identify which products may have been affected by the contaminated mustard ingredients. Local authorities are currently investigating distribution channels linked to FGS Ingredients Ltd., the UK company that received the contaminated mustard from GT Agro Industries in India. The FSA has identified FGS Ingredients Ltd. and is working closely with them to determine which of their customers used the contaminated ingredients, while FGS has instructed its customers to remove any products containing the contaminated mustard from sale. Additionally, the FSA is monitoring other potential suppliers to ensure no other batches or producers are affected.
To further protect consumers, the FSA has requested that businesses across the food supply chain review their systems and ensure that any products potentially containing contaminated mustard ingredients are removed from shelves or withdrawn from sale. The FSA will continue to issue allergy alerts on their website once individual affected products are identified, and consumers are encouraged to sign up for these alerts to stay informed about specific product recalls.
For those dining out or ordering takeaway, restaurants, cafes, and takeaway services are reminded of their legal obligation to provide accurate allergen information to customers. Any dishes containing mustard must be clearly disclosed, and individuals with peanut allergies are strongly advised to ask food service staff about mustard-containing products before ordering.
Until further information is available, the FSA advises:
Businesses using mustard in their products have been asked to review their supply chains and remove any items potentially containing contaminated mustard ingredients from sale.
FGS Ingredients Ltd. has also immediately removed affected products from their supply.
Rebecca Sudworth, Director of Food Policy at the FSA, emphasized the importance of staying informed: “Those with a peanut allergy should avoid consuming products with mustard until we have identified the affected items. We encourage people to sign up for allergy alerts on our website for the latest updates.”