Urgent warning on cooking sauce: Food manufacturer is recalling it over undeclared allergy fears
- Japanese sauce recalled because it contains soy that is not listed on the label
- Food Standards Agency has told Britons with a soybean allergy not to eat it
A popular Japanese cooking sauce is being recalled urgently due to fears it contains soy, which is not stated on the label.
JK Foods warns customers with a soybean allergy not to eat the Tiger Tiger Taste Japan Mirin Sauce.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA), which published the warning, told people in the UK that the sauce poses a ‘health risk’ for anyone with an allergy to soy.
The manufacturer is recalling the product for all expiration dates and offering a full refund on the 150 ml sauce, even without a receipt.
The manufacturer JK Foods has issued a customer notification pictured above to recall the product and offer a full refund on the 150ml sauce, even without a receipt
It is sold at Asda, among others, for £1.60.
The FSA recalls food – when customers are asked to return a product – when problems are noticed with food, meaning it should not be sold.
A customer message from JK Foods warns: ‘If you have purchased Tiger Tiger Japan Mirin 150ml…and you are allergic to soybeans, do not eat it.’
Mirin is a type of sweet rice wine popular in Japanese cuisine and can be used as a sauce or marinade.
Ingredients of this particular product are corn syrup, water, rice wine, acidity regulator and preservatives.
But the manufacturer failed to add that it also contained soy.
Soy allergies are caused by a reaction to the proteins in soybeans, the NHS says.
Symptoms of a soy allergy can range from a mild skin rash, swelling of the lips or around the eyes, to an itchy throat or vomiting.
In severe cases, it can cause anaphylaxis – a severe, life-threatening reaction when swelling in the throat can block the airways.
A soybean allergy can be diagnosed by a person’s reaction to soy after coming into contact with it.
The allergy can also be tested with a skin prick or blood test, but the NHS notes that some people may have a positive allergy test but be able to tolerate soy without having a reaction.
In the UK, the allergy is mainly seen in infants and toddlers, with around four in 1,000 children thought to have the allergy, according to the NHS.