The health department of east China's Shandong Province on Monday located and confiscated 154 boxes of chili seasoning containing the banned coloring agent Sudan I.

The 164 boxes of seasoning, produced by the Heinz Meiweiyuan (Guangzhou) Food Co. Ltd. and found in the provincial capital of Jinan, were seized from the warehouse of the company's local agent. The provincial health department had also found more than 100 bottles of the seasoning in a local hotel.

The agent said the seasoning did not sell well in Jinan because of its high price and a flavor that did not appeal to local tastes.

The provincial health department immediately ordered another round of checks in all the shops and supermarkets in Shandong, but no other foods containing the potentially carcinogenic colorant have been found.

Heinz Meiweiyuan Food, a subsidiary of the giant multinational Heinz, was ordered on March 5 to halt production pending a Ministry of Health check for Sudan I. Heinz quickly ordered its distributors and sales agencies across the country to recall all products on its "suspect" list.

China banned imports of any food containing Sudan I on February 23, shortly after Britain's Food Standards Agency found the dye in a batch of chili powder made by Premier Foods. The agency also found some of the dye in products made by companies including Schweppes, Coca-Cola and Heinz.

(Xinhua News Agency, China.org.cn March 8, 2005)