The Centre for Food Safety has urged the public not to consume two Häagen-Dazs products because they may be contaminated with a chemical used as a pesticide.
The center said on Thursday that the products that may contain ethylene oxide, which is not authorized by the European Union (EU), come from France and are imported by General Mills Hong Kong.
The affected batches are as follows:
Product name: Häagen-Dazs Belgian Chocolate Ice Cream
Net volumes: (i) 9.46 liters and (ii) 100 milliliters
Best-before dates: (i) June 13, 2023, and (ii) May 20, 2023, May 21, 2023, June 8, 2023, and June 9, 2023
Product name: Häagen-Dazs Cookies & Cream Ice Cream
Net volumes: (i) 80 milliliters, (ii) 3 x 80 milliliters, (iii) 100 milliliters, (iv) 473 milliliters and (v) 9.46 liters
Best-before dates: (i) May 22, 2023, (ii) May 23, 2023, and June 21, 2023, (iii) May 17, 2023, and May 29, 2023, (iv) June 11, 2023, and (v) May 29, 2023, and May 30, 2023
A spokesman for the center said it received a notification from the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed of the European Commission that the products may be contaminated with ethylene oxide.
Upon learning of the incident, the center immediately contacted local importers for follow-up, he added.
The spokesman said that since ethylene oxide is not authorized by the EU, for the sake of prudence, the importer has stopped selling and removed from shelves the affected batches of the products upon the center’s instructions, and has initiated a recall.
Members of the public may call the importer at 2280 4996 during office hours for enquiries about the recall, he added.
The spokesman urged the public not to consume the affected batches of the products if they have bought any.
Trade groups should also stop using or selling the affected batches of the products concerned immediately if they possess them.
The center said it will alert the trade to the incident, and will continue to follow up on it and take appropriate action.
An investigation is ongoing.
Last month, the center also ordered the importer to recall products from the brand over potential ethylene oxide contamination, namely Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Ice Cream Pint (473 milliliters), Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Ice Cream Mini Cup (100 milliliters), Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Ice Cream Mini Cup (75 milliliters) and Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Ice Cream Bulk (9.46 liters).
