Illegal dye, which can increase risk of cancer

The food safety watchdog warned on Thursday against 35 foods found to contain the illegal dye Para Red that could lead to an increased risk of &to=http:// english.pravda.ru/science/19/94/377/15349_sausage.html ' target=_blank>cancer.

"At the levels found, the risk from eating any of these foods is very small, but as a precaution it would be sensible not to eat them. The products have been withdrawn from sale," the Food Standards Agency (FSA) said in a statement.

The list of products included ready-made meals stocked by supermarkets Asda, Tesco and Waitrose.

In February, the FSA published a list of 350 products containing &to=http:// english.pravda.ru/printed.html?news_id=14680 ' target=_blank>Sudan 1 -- another illegal dye also linked to cancer -- that sparked a health scare and the withdrawal of all 350 foods, reports Reuters.

A further 35 sauces and pates were recalled yesterday after tests showed they contained para red, the potentially cancer-causing printing dye.

Low levels of the illegal dye, which is normally used in printing ink, were discovered in products from Waitrose, Tesco, the Co-op, Asda, Iceland and Sainsbury's.