THE Lancashire hotpot made famous by Coronation Street has been withdrawn from general sale as part of the national Sudan 1 food scare.

Bosses at Baxenden-based Holland's Pies, the company which makes the real-life version of Betty's Hotpot, recalled the product immediately after learning it contained the cancer-causing dye.

The multi-portion Rovers Return Lamb Hotpot, supplied to wholesalers across the region, is the only Holland's product affected by the scare.

Nationlly, 429 other products, ranging from the major supermarkets' own brand ready meals to catering supplies, have been recalled.

The contaminated red dye got into the food chain after being added to Crosse and Blackwell Worcester Sauce, made by Hertfordshire-based Premier Foods, which was then added as an ingredient to other products.

The Holland's Pies product is endorsed by Betty Driver - the actress who plays Betty Turpin, the Rovers Return barmaid famed for her hotpot.

Betty joined forces with Holland's Pies in 1995 to launch the range - called Betty's Kitchen - which also includes vegetable hotpots and beef-in-ale pies, although they are not affected by the recall.

A spokesman for Coronation Street, said: "Holland's have the licence to use the Rovers Return name but that is the only link Coronation Street has with the company.

"The product is not supplied to Coronation Street or the Rovers Return."

Tracy Pocklington, public relations officer for Holland's parent company, Northern Foods, said: "Holland's pies have only one product affected by Sudan1 and that is the multi-portion Rovers Return Lamb Hotpot.

"It comes in a foil tray and is not widely available in supermarkets but is supplied to wholesalers. Makro are the biggest customer for the product which is popular with pubs, who portion it up to use for customers."

Trading standards bosses in Lancashire have stressed that the risk to public health from Sudan1 is very small.

Jim Potts, head of trading standards at Lancashire County Council, said environmental health officers were now visiting smaller food retailers to ensure they were aware they may be selling foods containing the dye.

He added: "There are certainly many supermarkets in East Lancashire that have had to recall products. We are now targetting the small shop keepers who perhaps don't benefit from the kind of information received by the bigger supermarket chains.

"The risk to people's health is very small because we are talking about very small quanitities of the dye at this stage of the food chain.

"There are refund mechanisms in place and any retailers who are unsure should call us."

Anyone with any concerns can phone Lancashire trading standards on 0845 600 1352.