More than 400 products thought to contain Sudan 1 -- a red dye used for coloring oils, waxes, petrol and shoe polish -- were recalled globally in February.

The agency said the products -- mostly pates and cooking sauces -- contained the banned Para Red dye. Para Red is a similar dye to Sudan 1, which sparked an international food safety alert earlier this year.

The agency said the products contained very low levels of the dye and the health risk was small. The recall followed a recall of 35 products Thursday made with a cayenne pepper found to contain Para Red.

Two weeks ago the agency recalled batches of a Mexican-food seasoning mix containing the Para Red dye.

More than 400 products thought to contain Sudan 1 -- a red dye used for coloring oils, waxes, petrol and shoe polish -- were recalled globally in February, after the food agency found a sauce contaminated with the dye had been used in hundreds of British foods and exported to several European and Caribbean countries and to North America.

The agency said Para Red, like Sudan 1, could contribute to an increased risk of cancer, but it was not possible to identify a safe level or to quantify the risk.

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