Warning on baking powder containing sodium nitrite

Consumers are being warned not to use Goldfish brand Natural Powder, Natural Baking Powder and Nutre Powder containing sodium nitrite .

This follows the national recall of these products after the hospitalisation of five people in Sydney's southwest, the Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) said today.

FSANZ chief medical adviser Bob Boyd 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 per cent sodium nitrite which can be very dangerous when added to home cooking. High levels of sodium nitrite can cause a condition called methaemoglobinaemia - a disorder of the blood."

Dr Boyd said people who had these sodium nitrite products at home 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 it remove from sale immediately, Dr Boyd said.

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, and loss of consciousness.

- NZPA