SINGAPORE (Kyodo) -- Singapore on Wednesday temporarily banned the sale of a yoghurt ice bar made in China after it was found to contain low amounts of the toxin melamine, which has killed at least three infants in China and sickened hundreds more.
The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority issued an advisory ordering importers and retailers to remove the Yili Natural Choice Yogurt-Flavored Ice Bar with Real Fruit from the market and temporarily halt the sale of the product.
It said in a statement that as a precautionary measure importers and retailers should "remove this product from the market and withhold them from sale immediately, pending the result of AVA's investigation and tests."
The move came after random tests conducted by the Hong Kong Center for Food Safety found traces of the toxin in the product, which is made by Shanghai Yili AB Foods Co. Hong Kong authorities conducted the tests in the wake of a milk contamination scandal in mainland China.
The Hong Kong authority said on its website that the level of melamine detected is very low and the product could have been contaminated by utensils in the production process.
It has recalled the product and advised against children consuming it although it does not see the level of melamine detected as posing any health risks in normal consumption.
The authority said it is also conducting tests on other milk and dairy products imported from China for melamine contamination.
