Peanuts trump horsemeat crisis

Britain's food supply network is facing a scandal even more serious than the horsemeat crisis, a leading expert has warned, after the Government's new food crime unit launched an investigation into the undeclared use of nuts that are potentially life-threatening to allergy sufferers.

Professor Chris Elliott, who led the Government's inquiry into the horsemeat scandal, has put the UK's half a million nut and legume allergy sufferers on high alert. He fears that cheap peanuts and almonds are secretly being used in dishes claiming to contain more expensive cumin seeds to save money.

Cumin is one of Britain's most popular ingredients, being widely used to enhance flavour in soups, stews and processed meals, as well as in curry and chilli powder.

Substituting it with peanuts or almonds can inflict a range of suffering, from mild symptoms such as sneezing and facial swelling to abdominal pain and cardiac arrest. Both can prove fatal.