sudan i

Sudan I (also commonly known as CI Solvent Yellow 14), is a dye with a chemical formula of 1-Phenylazo-2-Naphthalenol. The additive is mainly used to colour waxes, oils, petrol, solvents and polishes. Sudan I has also been adopted for colouring various foodstuffs, including particular brands of Worcester sauce, curry powder and chili powder, although the use of Sudan I in foods is now banned in many countries due to inconclusive reports on its possible health risks. Sudan I is a powdered substance with an orange-red appearance. Its melting point is 131C (268F).

Toxicology

The dye has been declared a possible carcinogen, meaning it could cause cancer. Laboratory tests on mice showed growth of cancerous tumours in the liver. Tumours also developed in the bladder, following a direct injection into the urinary bladder. Tests via oral administration have so far proved negative. These tests have led to the additive being banned from use in foods throughout the EU, as it may pose an increased risk of cancer. However, the amount of Sudan I used in popular foods is small, so the proposed health risks are low.

Food scare

In February 2005, Sudan I became a prominent news topic, particularly in the United Kingdom. A Worcester sauce produced by Premier Foods was found to be contaminated by the dye. The origin was traced to adulterated chili powder. The sauce was used in hundreds of supermarket products such as pizzas and ready-made meals, and the contamination has led to over 400 products being taken off the shelves. The deadline for removal was 12:00 GMT 24 February 2005, as imposed by the Food Standards Agency, the removal to be monitored by Local Authorities. However in the UK, the news reports failed to mention that:

The additive was only banned for import into the UK as recently as July 2003. Before that, it was widely used as an additive with no reported adverse effects.
The origin of the contamination was a shipment of chilli powder from India, which was exported in 2002 (before the ban was imposed). Therefore the ban was not even flouted.
There is inconclusive evidence that it might be carcinogenic in some animal species, and is classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as category 3 (not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans).

This situation may be considered in the context of the culture of fear idea, that feelings of fear and anxiety on a particular subject are often deliberately amplified by the mass media. Other countries made much less of the "scare". For example, the New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) found that the risk, if any, for anyone who has consumed food made with this chilli powder as an ingredient is so small as to be immeasurable, and consumers are advised not to be concerned. In countries other than the UK and Canada, no such recall has taken place. Due to the scare, the government of Sudan has requested that the name of the dye be changed to avoid negative connotations being associated with the country and its food exports http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4318419.stm. The origins of the "Sudan I" name are uncertain, but one chemist has suggested it "probably got the name as a result of interest in the British Empire at the time it was developed in the late 19th Century." = Synonyms and brand names ==

Atul Orange R

Benzene-1-azo-2-naphthol

Brasilazina oil Orange

Brilliant oil Orange R

Calcogas M

Calcogas Orange NC

Calco oil Orange 7078

Campbelline oil Orange

Carminaph

Ceres Orange R

CerotinOrange G

C.I. Solvent Yellow 14