People suffering from nut allergies are being advised to take extra precaution when buying supermarket ready meals such as curries, after it is feared that almond and peanut proteins have been used as a replacement for cumin in certain products.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has launched a testing programme and are presently investigating cumin imports across the UK after traces of the nuts were discovered in make- your-own dinner kits, despite not being evident on the labels.
Lindsey McManus, deputy CEO of Allergy UK said: “If you want to be cautious, just avoid anything with cumin in it until we know more – ready meals, spices that you use yourself or anything that’s flavoured with cumin such as curries.
“It’s used in lots of things, but it will be in the ingredients list, so if people want to be cautious they can check the label and avoid it.”
Supermarkets including Aldi and Morrisons withdrew certain products from their shelves after being warned that the seasoning mixes may contain almond and peanut protein.
Staff at Aldi said that the safety of its customers was its ‘number one priority’.
Proffessor Chris Elliot, who led the government’s inquiry into the horse meat scandal back in 2013, said that this case was much more serious as it threatened the lives of allergy sufferers.
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