Health officials say no `Sudan 1' health risk at local KFCs

The Department of Health (DOH) announced yesterday that no suspected cancer-causing "Sudan 1" dye has been found in ingredients used in Taiwan's Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) restaurants.

According to Hsiao Tong-ming (蕭東銘), deputy director of the DOH's Bureau of Food Sanitation, Taiwan management of the US fast food restaurant franchise KFC submitted their documents to the food sanitation bureau for examination Thursday proving that the ingredients used in its restaurants countrywide are safe and free from Sudan 1 dye.

The Bureau of Food Sanitation carried out a surprise inspection of a KFC factory located on Roosevelt Road, Taipei City, on Thursday night and discovered that the company's ingredients, especially red pepper powder, contained no synthetic dye Sudan 1, which has triggered a food scare over the past several days in China.

Sudan 1, a synthetic chemical used in petrol and shoe polish but banned from use in food products because it is suspected of increasing the risk of cancer, was found to have been used in two KFC dishes in China. The chemical was illegally used in food because it is light-resistant and helps retain red pepper powder's fresh color, said Hsiao.

Taiwan KFC Managing Director Olga Wu (吳美君) said that suppliers of Taiwan KFC and those in China are different and all the food materials and ingredients provided in Taiwan have been monitored strictly to ensure their quality and safety.

Taiwan KFC contacted the media Thursday after KFC China pulled two chicken dishes off its menu across the country Wednesday after discovering that they contained Sudan 1 dye. Sudan 1 dye was found in red pepper powder used as an ingredient in the KFC restaurants' New Orleans wings and drumstick burgers.

Noting that the ingredients used in the KFC restaurants around China are locally-sourced, Wu said that the red pepper powder used in Taiwan's KFC restaurants is imported from Spain.