FSANZ Warns Consumers of Danger of Sodium Nitrite in Home Cooking (Australia Only)
12 October 2006
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) today warned consumers not to use Goldfish brand Natural Powder, Natural Baking Powder and Nutre Powder containing sodium nitrite [note additional recall items may be added]. This follows the national recall of these products after the hospitalisation of five people in Sydney's south west.
Dr Bob Boyd, FSANZ’s Chief Medical Adviser, said that sodium nitrite was not suitable for adding directly to food cooked at home but had been sold directly to consumers through some Asian stores.
‘These products contained 100% sodium nitrite which can be very dangerous when added to home cooking as high levels of sodium nitrite can cause a condition called methaemoglobinaemia - a disorder of the blood.
‘If people have these sodium nitrite products at home they should either return it to where they purchased it or dispose of it safely out of the reach of children. Shop owners should check their shelves and remove from sale immediately,’ Dr Boyd concluded.
Symptoms of sodium nitrite poisoning usually occur within minutes of ingestion, are severe and can be fatal. They include:
- shortness of breath
- racing heart
- tiredness
- blue skin
- vomiting
- loss of consciousness.
If consumers think they may have eaten these products they should contact their doctor or the national Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 which is available 24 hours a day. Immediate treatment with an antidote counteracts the effect of the poison in the body.
Media Contact: Lydia Buchtmann, FSANZ 02 6271 2620 or 0401 714 265
Note: Chiefs-of-staff for ethnic media that this is a particularly important message to get out to the Asian community.