Urgent allergy advice remains as Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland update on investigation into mustard ingredients contaminated with peanuts 

We continue to advise people who have a peanut allergy to avoid eating any foods that contain or may contain mustard, mustard seeds, mustard powder or mustard flour because of potential contamination with peanuts. 

The Food Standards Agency (FSA), working with Food Standards Scotland (FSS), is leading an investigation into the food supply chain of mustard ingredients which may have been contaminated with peanuts.

After publishing urgent allergy advice on 20 September and following extensive food chain analysis, on-going investigations by the FSA and FSS have traced the contaminated mustard ingredients to three suppliers in India. These producers have supplied three spice companies in the UK, which have subsequently distributed the ingredients to a range of manufacturing, hospitality and retail businesses. We have asked all three spice companies to urgently check whether their products have been contaminated, and to immediately inform any businesses they have supplied.

As of 27 September, we have published 66 product recalls undertaken by UK businesses, for a variety of products. Testing has identified contamination with peanut in multiple products across a number of businesses and we expect further recalls in the coming days. When we find a product is affected, we will continue to update consumers with allergy alerts on our website.

As the safety of food is the responsibility of the business, we have asked businesses to swiftly carry out the necessary checks on their products and to verify with their suppliers if any products they use could be affected.   

Ron McNaughton, Head of the Scottish Food Crime and Incidents Unit at FSS, said:

“This is a complex investigation, and FSS and the FSA are working with businesses, local authorities, and relevant agencies to implement necessary measures to protect consumers.

“At this time, it’s crucial for anyone with a peanut allergy to avoid products containing mustard until all affected items have been identified and recalled. Parents and carers of children with peanut allergies should carefully check food labels, and when dining out or ordering takeaways, ask about foods that may contain mustard.

“We understand this advice may limit some food options, but ensuring consumer safety is our top priority.

“If you or a family member has experienced an allergic reaction potentially related to this issue, please report it to the business that supplied the product and the local authority where it was purchased. Guidance on reporting food-related problems is available.

“We will provide updates as new information emerges and strongly encourage those with allergies to sign up for our allergy alerts to stay informed about future recalls.”

Investigations to identify the root cause of the contamination are in progress, both in UK and India, working with trade associations and affected businesses.