Ever since news of widespread food recalls caused by a carcinogenic dye broke, there has been confusion over possible links to the country of the same name, but Sudan officials say there is no connection whatsoever.

Sudan-1 is a red industrial dye that has been found in some chilli powder, but was banned in food products across the European Union (EU) in July, 2003.

Since the ban was put in place, EU officials have been striving to remove all food products containing Sudan-1 from the shelves. So far 580 products have been recalled.

Last week Sudan's Embassy in the United Kingdom asked the Food Standards Agency (FSA) for clarification of the origin of the dye's name.

Omaima Mahmoud Al Sharief, a press official at Sudan's Embassy in China, explained the purpose of the inquiry was to clear up any misundertanding over links between the country and the poisonous dye.

"We want to keep an eye on every detail and avoid any misunderstanding there," she said. "Our embassy to Britain asked them how the dye got that name and whether the dye has something to do with our country. But they told us there was no relationship."

The FSA, an independent food security watchdog in Britain, received a letter from the Sudanese embassy last week, a spokeswoman told China Daily.

"They asked us why the dye is named Sudan, however, we also do not know how it got the name," she said.

"People found the dye in 1883 and gave it the name. Nobody knows the reason, and we cannot give any explanation before we find out."

The FSA spokeswoman said the coincidence was a matter for history books.

Sudan dyes, which include Sudan-1 to 4, are red dyes used for colouring solvents, oils, waxes, petrol, and shoe and floor polishes. They are classified as carcinogens by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

On February 24, the FSA launched an investigation after Sudan-1 surfaced in a batch of chilli powder used by Premier Foods to manufacture Worcester sauce.

The chilli powder turned out to be an ingredient used in a wide range of products and the subsequent investigation resulted in the largest food recall in history.

As the alerts widened so did the name recognition of the Sudan-1 dye. Sudanese officials now fear people may come to believe the dyes are chemical products originating in Sudan and link them to the Sudanese people.

Ironically, neither the FSA nor the Sudanese authorities seem to be entirely sure how the dyes got their name.

One theory is simply based on the etymology of the country's name.

According to the website www.course.rochester.edu, Sudan's name may have evolved from the Arabic word "Sudd," meaning blockage, which referred to the nearly impenetrable papyrus swamp in the Southern Nile valley region of the Sudan.

(China Daily 03/12/2005 page6)