Supermarkets are recalling hundreds of products containing contaminated sesame seeds from India, following a warning by food safety authority NVWA.

The NVWA has identified three Indian suppliers of sesame seeds who have used the disinfectant ethylene oxide which is banned in Europe for use on food.

There is no immediate danger to health, the watchdog said, but the substance can be harmful if consumed in large quantities over time.

Supermarkets are currently working on a list of products with sesame seeds which run into the hundreds, from bread and crackers to salads and oriental products.

Consumers are advised to take back or throw away the products on the list. Products with a proven different supplier than the ones implicated by the RIVM will stay on the shelves.

The same warning has gone out to supermarkets in other European countries. The seeds were originally imported into Belgium and then found their way to 24 other European countries.