Global Review: Product liability - Why food risk is now a global opportunity.

(From Reinsurance)

Byline: Jeremy Golden.

Beware of what you eat - in February this year, more than 450 food products in the UK had to be taken off the shelves after being found contaminated with an illegal food dye.

The Sudan I dye, linked to an increased risk of cancer, was contained in chilli powder used to make a Worcestershire sauce that the manufacturer, Premier Foods, also supplied to a number of supermarket and food producers, which in turn used it as an ingredient in their own products.

The Food Standards Agency, the watchdog that ordered the recall, issued a warning advising people not to eat the products, but said there was "no need to panic" because of the "very low risk."

The final cost to Premier Foods for the product recall has not been confirmed, but at the time of the crisis the company stated that it will attempt to pass on the cost to its privately owned suppliers and their insurers.

More recently (July 2005), Italian scientists have cast fresh doubts on the safety of the artificial sweetener Aspartame, and a study published in a medical journal has linked its use to leukaemia in rodents. Aspartame is 200 times sweeter than sugar, and it is used throughout the world in low-calorie drinks and foods. The European Food Safety Authority intends to undertake an urgent assessment of this study to establish whether there are any implications for human consumption.