Preliminary testing of a line of Cadbury chocolate eclairs withdrawn from Australian shelves over fears of melamine contamination has revealed the products to be safe. But a third product has been recalled in Australia as more arrests were made in China over a contamination scandal in which melamine was added to powdered milk, causing the deaths of four babies. Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) on Wednesday advised that Lotte Koala Biscuits, widely available at supermarkets, had been recalled as a precaution. FSANZ said consumers should dispose of the product in a safe manner, out of the reach of children and pets. The latest recall follows the withdrawal from sale last week of the milk-based sweet, White Rabbit, and a voluntary recall of 180gm packs of Cadbury chocolate eclairs which were made in China. However, testing by the Hong Kong Centre for Food Safety has revealed that the Cadbury chocolate eclairs product did not contain dangerous levels of melamine. The tests revealed the products contained only 1.9 parts per million of melamine, below the 2.5 parts per million considered to be safe. "Results available ... showed that all the samples were satisfactory," the centre said in a statement. The results of tests conducted on the products in Australia are expected within the next 24 hours. FSANZ said it would continue to actively investigate and respond to concerns of melamine contamination in products imported from China. The food safety watchdog said it would continue to work with importers and food manufacturers, as well as regulators around the world, to ascertain if any products imported from China had been contaminated. "Food safety agencies are closely monitoring new information on the issue and potentially suspect foods as it becomes available," FSANZ said in a statement. Authorities were testing a targeted range of products from China containing dairy as a minor ingredient with more than 50 products tested so far. "Test results to date have not detected the presence of melamine in any of these products, except for White Rabbit sweets," FSANZ said. Police in northern China have arrested 27 people in their probe into tainted milk that has sickened 53,000 children and soiled China's reputation abroad, state media reported on Wednesday. The 27 are among 36 detained since authorities in Hebei province began investigating Sanlu Group, the company at the centre of the scandal, earlier this month. The investigation followed the discovery that the industrial chemical melamine, which is normally used to make plastics, had been added to Sanlu powdered milk. The four infant deaths occurred after the babies drank milk tainted with melamine, which can make watered-down milk appear richer in protein. still want them now Akki?
I just love how Cadbury is now using this statement to exonerate their product. The fact is, Melamine should not be in the product at all. It would be like saying that trace levels of Cyanide or Arsenic is acceptable. This Chinese milk tampering issue has world wide implications as it wasn't just one Chinese company (problems at Sanlu only triggered the investigation, which found 22 other companies with tampering).
