Cadbury recalls HK chocolates

By BBC World News
September 29, 2008

The makers of Cadbury chocolates have decided to recall 11 products from shops in Hong Kong.

The Asia-Pacific regional management of the British-based firm told the Hong Kong government that the recall was a precautionary step.

The government announcement did not specify whether the products had indeed been contaminated by the chemical.

Tens of thousands of babies have been sickened and at least four killed by Chinese milk tainted by melamine.

Cadbury Asia-Pacific said the 11 products were manufactured at their Beijing plant and distributed in Hong Kong.

The products include Cadbury Eclairs, dark and milk chocolate, hazelnut and praline chocolate, dark Chocettes, and products made specially for the Chinese New Year (in February).

Cadbury's Asia Pacific region includes Australia, New Zealand, India, Japan, Thailand, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines and South Korea. The recall order was so far only registered in Hong Kong.

"We appeal to the public to stop consuming the chocolate products concerned," said a spokesman for the government's Centre for Food Safety.

"We would alert the trade to stop selling the affected products," he added.

The Centre for Food Safety said it would be testing the products itself and was closely monitoring the situation.

China's reputation for food safety has nosedived since the revelations last month that milk products poisoned by melamine were responsible for causing renal problems in babies who drank the milk formula.

Indonesian concerns

In Jakarta, the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency was reported to have found traces of melamine in chocolate and biscuit products apparently made in China by Kraft Foods and Mars.

The two companies said they were investigating the claims, although their products had earlier been cleared of melamine tainting.

Some reports raised the possibility the products - including Oreo wafers, M&Ms and Snickers - could be counterfeit.

"We have asked our trade partners and retailers to suspend the sales of our products in accordance to the agency's order," the Mars spokesman in Indonesia, Bondan Ardi, told The Associated Press on Monday.

The companies involved said they would conduct their own tests.

Four babies have died and more than 53,000 children have so far been made ill by drinking contaminated powder milk in China.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has meanwhile urged five countries to immediately recall all milk powder imported from China.

The scandal came to light earlier this month when baby milk powder from the Sanlu Group was found to contain the industrial chemical melamine.

Since then, at least 22 other companies have been implicated - and milk products made by the Yili, Mengniu and Bright Foods groups have been recalled both at home and abroad.

Melamine is used in making plastics and is high in nitrogen, which makes products appear to have a higher protein content.

Health experts say that ingesting small amounts does no harm but sustained use can cause kidney stones and renal failure, especially among the young.

>> Original report