Major supermarkets recall over 15 brands of China-made food products
By Hoe Yeen Nie, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 22 September 2008 2126 hrs

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SINGAPORE: Over 15 brands of China-made products have been taken off the shelves, amid growing consumer concern in Singapore over the tainted milk scandal. Major supermarkets such as Cold Storage and NTUC FairPrice are also playing it safe by checking that items made in other countries do not contain dairy from China.

Since Friday, boxes of China-made food items have been piling up in a storage area at Sheng Siong supermarket.

The chain has removed over 20 products as a precautionary measure, including bread and biscuits. These include Want Want Crunchy Wafer, Oreo Wafer Sticks, Snickers Peanut snack-sized bars, and Dove Hazelnut Milk Chocolate.

Cold Storage and NTUC FairPrice have also recalled items such as condensed milk, crackers and butter.

Said one customer: "We're very worried. My friends and I are trying to refrain from buying China products which involve milk."

"We should be careful in selecting our brands. We must be very careful about those concerning milk powder," said another customer.

Some retailers said the affected items constitute a relatively small portion of their inventory. They're now stocking up on products from alternative sources to ensure shelves don't remain empty.

Chong Nyet Chin, director, Food Safety and Quality, NTUC FairPrice, said: "We also take some precautionary measure on our end. We see whether there are other products which may not be made in China but the source of the raw material was purchased from China."

Some distributors here have been assured by their suppliers in China that their products have not been contaminated. Others will also provide laboratory test results to verify that their items are safe.

However, major supermarkets like NTUC FairPrice and Sheng Siong said that until Singapore's food safety authority gives the green light, many of the affected items will remain off the shelf. - CNA/vm