A food company affected by an allergy alert over contaminated mustard ingredients has said that no peanuts have been detected in its products.
Leicester-based FGS Ingredients carried out additional tests across its ingredients after the Food Standards Agency (FSA) this week told people with a peanut allergy to avoid eating products containing mustard because they may have been contaminated.
On Saturday a spokesman for FGS Ingredients, the natural spices supplier, said: “Samples of our ingredients are always routinely tested before they leave our premises, as is good standard industry practice, and had shown no reasons for concern.
“An additional testing programme conducted both within our own facilities and by an off-site industry-approved independent external laboratory, have not detected any presence of peanut content or residue.”
Mustard ingredients can be found in food such as dips, sauces, salads and pre-packed sandwiches.
Such mustard products could contain traces of peanut, potentially causing severe reactions for those with an allergy, the FSA said as it began urgently working with the relevant local authorities, individual businesses and industry to identify which products may be affected.
The FSA said it had traced the contaminated mustard ingredients to a producer in India called GT Agro Industries and identified one company, FGS Ingredients Ltd, who had “supplied these ingredients for use in UK food”.
FGS Ingredients Ltd, then advised customers to remove from sale products containing the contaminated mustard ingredients.
The company said peanuts are not included in its spices or allowed on its production site and it follows strict working controls to prevent the accidental introduction of allergens.
The spokesman added: “As a family-owned business that was established 74 years ago and is now in its third generation of leadership, we have grown to proudly become the principal supplier of natural spices to food producers across the UK and to businesses internationally.
“We have never previously been involved in any incident of food contamination.
“Nevertheless, we continue to support the FSA investigation in any way that is necessary.”