Business guidance on mustard ingredients and peanut contamination

Last updated: 29 October 2024

Food Standards Scotland (FSS) and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) are aware that some mustard products being used as ingredients (including anything that contains mustard seeds, mustard powder and mustard flour), have become contaminated with peanuts. We are continuing to work with relevant Local Authorities (LAs), industry organisations, and where required, directly with individual businesses to identify which products may be affected.

These investigations have found that contaminated mustard ingredients have been used in numerous products in the UK manufactured by a company called FGS Ingredients Limited. In some instances, the contaminated ingredient has been used in products such as sauces, spices and flavoured mayonnaise, which are then used as an ingredient in other products.

FGS Ingredients Limited has indicated that given the serious allergenic nature of peanuts, this poses a potential risk to consumers, particularly those with severe peanut allergies. We continue to advise people with a peanut allergy to avoid eating any food containing mustard ingredients until all recalls have been issued. We will provide updates to businesses and consumers on this advice when it changes.

What is the latest update?

On 18 October 2024, we issued a news story with the latest information from extensive and ongoing investigations.

FGS Ingredients Limited, who import mustard from India as an ingredient to manufacture spice products including curry powders, seasonings and spice blends, have undertaken a precautionary withdrawal of their mustard products. This has resulted in their direct customers and businesses along the supply chain recalling products containing the implicated mustard where required. These spices and blends are also used in products such as ready meals, sauces and snacks. The precautionary withdrawal/recall also includes products manufactured/supplied under the previous business trading name, ‘Old India.’

Although the investigation is continuing, based on what we know so far, we can confirm it is only products supplied by FGS Ingredients Limited which have been affected. Not all spices supplied by FGS Ingredients Limited are affected, only those containing mustard.

What should my business do?

Food businesses are responsible for establishing whether any of their food products are affected, taking steps to ensure the food they sell is safe and ensuring that consumers are protected. FSS and the FSA have written to industry trade associations and provided further details where necessary to assist food business activities identify the products affected. Businesses who are not part of a trade association should contact their LA who are being updated with the same information.

The following steps should help support you:

• Businesses should scrutinise their supply chains and complete traceability exercises to identify products (or ingredients used in products) containing mustard ingredients that have come from FGS Ingredients Limited, where the country of origin was India.
• If your business has been supplied with a product that contains part of a wider batch from FGS Ingredients Limited that has been impacted, you should withdraw the product. If the product has been sold at retail, you should also recall the product that contains the mustard ingredient and inform your local authority. There are exceptions to this, and this is covered within the exceptions section below.
  
  Exceptions
• If the impacted product(s) already has peanut listed as an ingredient with the appropriate allergen labelling or a ‘may contain’ statement on the label, these will not need to be withdrawn or recalled.
• Products can be relabelled if the business is able to do so and more information on this is provided in the question below.

Should I relabel products which contain the recalled ingredients from FGS Ingredients Limited?

Products not yet sold at retail can be relabelled, or if in a hospitality setting the information can be updated at the point of service to accurately reflect that the product may contain peanuts. This is a standard approach, which is outlined in paragraph 42 of the guidance on food traceability, withdrawals and recalls within the UK food industry.

Food businesses may choose to add precautionary allergen labelling (PAL) statements for peanuts to their products if they contain mustard supplied by FGS Ingredients Limited, as there is a risk of cross-contamination in the FGS Ingredients Limited supply chain. Before doing this, it is important to:

• Check if the product(s) has peanut in its ingredients and is declared as an allergen on the label.
• Check whether the product has a precautionary allergen labelling for peanut already, for example a ‘may contain’ statement.
• Check if the product can be relabelled or over stickered.
• For hospitality, check if the information provided at point of service can be updated to ensure it accurately informs the consumer that peanut may be present.

Important: If after following these steps, accurate information cannot be provided, a product withdrawal or recall must take place and affected products must not be sold to consumers.

Why is a precautionary approach being taken?

FGS Ingredients Limited are withdrawing/recalling all their mustard products because of the possibility that they may contain peanuts. Their customers are also undertaking withdrawals and, where the implicated ingredient is in products sold at retail, the products will be recalled. Exceptions to this apply as noted above .

These withdrawals and recalls are precautionary as it is not possible to identify individual products affected. FGS Ingredients Limited are therefore fulfilling a legal requirement for a ‘precautionary principle,’ to ensure there’s ongoing high level of health protection for consumers.

Why has the advice now been expanded to include all products/batch codes/durability dates?

It is not possible to identify exactly which products are impacted because of the scale of the incident, and difficulty in completing the traceability exercise. FGS Ingredients Limited has indicated that given the serious allergenic nature of peanuts, this poses a potential risk to consumers, particularly those with severe peanut allergies. As a result, they are advising all products in scope of the withdrawal need to be removed from sale, and if it has been sold as an ingredient in a product at retail it should also be recalled. Exceptions to this apply, as noted above.

A customer has informed my business that they had an allergic reaction from food we sold them. Is there anything different I should do in response to this incident?

No, the usual rules apply. You should notify your LA immediately. LAs have a statutory responsibility to inform the FSS/FSA incident teams of any allergic reactions that require hospital treatment, (with or without admission) or in the event of a death, that's allegedly as a result of food consumption.

We already took appropriate action when we were first advised. What else do we need to do now? 

Even if food safety assessments and, where needed, action has already been undertaken in response to the initial advice, the latest updates contain additional products that may be affected and advice on food safety action. You need to determine whether action is needed in response to this new information. 

Do I need to update my allergen matrix to include peanuts in any products containing mustard?

Food businesses may choose to add precautionary allergen labelling (PAL) statements to their products if they contain the implicated mustard supplied by FGS Ingredients Limited.

Where traceability has identified a product contains peanut, or is at risk of containing peanut, a food business should adapt their allergen matrix to make it clear that certain products may contain peanut. This can be communicated to the customers either verbally or in writing.

Should I be contacting my own suppliers to find out if their products are affected?

Yes, businesses should complete traceability exercises to identify products (or ingredients used in products) containing the implicated mustard that has come from FGS Ingredients Limited.

How long will I need to put in place these contingency plans?

We are conducting extensive investigations, which may take some time, so we would advise that you continue to take a precautionary approach with mustard containing ingredients whilst this is ongoing. We will continue to liaise with impacted businesses directly, as well as via our website and external communications channels to inform business of any changes.