FSA recalls six brands of soy sauce for presence of banned chemicals

SIX brands of soy sauce have been recalled after an investigation found they contained unacceptable levels of cancer-causing chemicals.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) yesterday issued warnings about the products after an investigation by the British Food Standards Agency found the presence of two banned chemicals in the six brand name products.

The contaminated brand names are:

Supreme Low Salt Soy Sauce (1L), Flower Brand.

Supreme Soy Sauce (300ml), Exotic Food.

Soy Sauce (1L), Silver Swan.

Kicap Manis (340ml), Adabi.

Superior Light Soy Sauce (150ml), Hai Tian Brand.

Soy Sauce (640ml), Marca Pina.

The chemicals concerned 3-monochloropropane-1,2 diol (3-MCPD) and 1,3-DCP are known carcinogens, the FSAI's chief environmental health specialist, Jeff Moon said. "They are carcinogenic. The levels we are finding are quite low but because they have a cumulative affect over time they can give rise to problems," he said.

Both chemicals belong to a group of contaminants known as chloropropanols and are thought to cause cancer in laboratory animals by damaging genes.

Consequently, because of the risk of cancer, scientists advised that neither chemical should be present in food at any level.

The six products withdrawn from sale are widely available in retail outlets and restaurants in Britain, but it is not known how widespread their use may be in Ireland.

"There is a likelihood that suppliers will get this from the same source in the UK and it can come in in lots of other ways as well," said Mr Moon, adding that shops and restaurants should check their soy sauce supplies for the implicated brands.

The presence of high levels of 3-MCPD in soy sauces and related products was first identified as a major problem in the EU three years ago when a large amount of counterfeit produce was being put on the market.

A FSAI survey in 1999 found that 22% of soy sauce products were unsatisfactory and many brands were removed from sale. A follow-up survey in 2001 found that 5% of products contained unacceptable levels.