UK Worcester sauce maker Lea & Perrins are looking at ways to get the Worcester sauce name protected in the wake of the Sudan 1 scare which hit a rival producer.
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There have been reports that Lea & Perrins might ask the European Commission to make Worcester Sauce a denomination of geographical origin, like Champagne or Parma ham.
“Our member of parliament’s been making those sort of noises,” Lea &Perrins spokesman Gary Hayes told just-food. “There is possibility a legal opportunity, but we don’t think it will be geographical.”
“The MP is just doing the best for his constituents,” Hayes said. “He’s been at the forefront of this. As far as we’re concerned it is something we’re thinking about.” One problem is that the EU’s process for getting a name protected can take a long time. “We do understand that the decision making process is very lengthy,” he said.
The company is concerned that the discovery of the banned dye Sudan 1 in Worcester Sauce made by rival company Premier Foods is affecting its reputation with consumers, even though Lea & Perrins Worcester Sauce has not been affected. “Lea & Perrins is implicated by association in the product recall regarding another Worcester Sauce,” Hayes said.
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