Food Safety Recall: GoGo Pan Masala
Food Safety Recall: GoGo Pan Masala
GoGo Pan Masala Mouth Freshener
UPDATE : There are now an additional 3 Pan Massala products recalled that are affected by the Rhodamine B. See the 'read more' section for the exact ones.
AKM Foods Limited is recalling Zaiqa GoGo Pan Masala Mouth Freshener. It contains an illegal dye Rhodamine B which is a carcinogenic health risk.
Rhodamine B
Rhodamine B is a chemical compound used as a racer dye to determine the rate and directions of flow and transport in water. They are used a lot in biotechnology applications. However, it is not meant for human consumption as it is carcinogenic, and thus not permitted in foods.
AKM Foods Limited does not say how the Rhodamine B came to be within their Pan Masala.
Pan Masala
According to wiseGEEK, Pan Masala is a mixture of nuts, seeds, herbs, and spices which is served after meals in India, the Middle East and parts of Southeast Asia, and treated as mouth fresheners. Some households create their own mixtures, and it is possible to buy them. The term masala means a mixture of spices.
Actual ingredients very a lot, depending on people's own tastes and the region they are in. They often contain fennel seeds, cinnamon, cardamom, lime, menthol, areca nuts and betel nuts (the latter two are nuts from particular types of palm trees).
When the mixture is chewed, it helps to freshen the breath and aid digestion - especially useful after eating very spicy foods.
The Zaiqa GoGo Pan Masala Mouth Freshener Recall
Product | Pack Size | Best Before | Danger |
|---|---|---|---|
Zaiqa GoGo Pan Masala Mouth Freshener | 160g | 30/05/2019 | Rhodamine B, a forbidden chemical and carcinogenic |
ZaiqaMix Pan Masala Mouth Freshener | 160g | 30/05/2019 | Rhodamine B, a forbidden chemical and carcinogenic |
Zaiqa Mint Pan Masala Mouth Freshener | 150g | 30/05/2019 | Rhodamine B, a forbidden chemical and carcinogenic |
Zaiqa Coconut Pan Masala Mouth Freshener | 150g | 30/05/2019 | Rhodamine B, a forbidden chemical and carcinogenic |
To read the Food Standards Agency's recall notice, click here. To read AKM Foods Limited's recall on the Food Standards Agency's website, click here.