Significant food safety risk: Mustard ingredients and peanut contamination

On 27th September 2024, the Food Safety Authority (FSA) issued urgent guidance advising individuals with peanut allergies in the UK to avoid consuming foods containing mustard ingredients due to the risk of contamination with peanuts. 

 

Initial investigations traced this contamination back to three suppliers in India; however, this has now expanded to affect multiple suppliers and impact businesses across the food service, ingredient import, manufacturing, and retail sectors. The issue has also spread beyond the UK to numerous European countries, with further developments expected as investigations continue.

 

The contamination of mustard ingredients with peanuts represents a significant food safety risk to individuals with peanut allergies as even trace amounts can cause severe and life-threatening allergic reactions.

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How does this situation affect food businesses?

 

Mustard products, such as mustard powder, mustard seeds, and mustard flour, are widely used across the food industry. This includes uses in products such as sauces, spices, and flavoured mayonnaises which are then used as ingredients in other products. Given the potentially serious health risks associated with peanut contamination, food businesses need to take urgent action to identify if their products have been affected.

 

In the latest FSA guidance, food businesses in the UK have been instructed to review their supply chains and conduct traceability exercises to identify potential sources of contamination. The FSA has also recommended that businesses carry out product-specific risk assessments and implement allergen testing protocols to identify if peanut protein is present in relevant products. 

 How can RSSL help?

 

At RSSL, we are actively engaged with partners across the food industry to help resolve this contamination issue. Our Senior Food Safety & Quality Consultant, Barabara Hirst, is working closely with relevant trade associations and regulatory bodies to ensure we remain up-to-date with this evolving situation.

 

With extensive allergen management experience, we have the knowledge and capabilities to support businesses during this time. We can conduct thorough food safety and supply chain risk assessments to help you understand if your products are affected by this issue and provide recommendations for appropriate next steps. 

 

Offering UKAS-accredited allergen testing services, we can provide both standard and rapid turnaround quantitative ELISA analysis of peanut protein levels to support risk assessments. All of our analyses are backed by robust validation to reduce the risk of false positive and false negative results. We are also equipped to fully quantify results that may fall outside the range of the test. 

 

Our allergen experts are available to provide tailored consultancy for affected businesses, including offering guidance for managing the current situation to protect consumers and your brand.   

 

Concerned about being affected? Get in touch

 

To find out more about our allergen testing capabilities and how we can support you in navigating this challenging time, contact our team on 0118 918 4024, email foodsales@rssl.com or send us a message using the button below.

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