Hong Kong Finds Dangerous Melamine Levels In Two Cadbury Chocolate Products

October 5, 2008 1:16 p.m. EST

Beijing, China (AHN) - Hong Kong authorities said on Sunday they have found two China-made Cadbury products with unsafe levels of the industrial chemical melamine.

The officials said the products were made in British candy maker's Beijing plant amid growing controversy over contaminated milk products that has affected thousands of Chinese babies.

Chinese authorities have acknowledged that four infants have died and 53,000 Chinese babies have fallen ill with kidney stones in the urinary system after drinking tainted milk powder containing excessive melamine.

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) said in a statement last week that Cadbury Asia Pacific had plans to recall 11 Cadbury chocolate products as a precautionary step.

The company reportedly recalled its products from the markets including Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Australia last week following which CFS began testing the company's products.

CFS officials found 56 parts per million of melamine in Cadbury's Dairy Milk Hazelnut Chocolate Bulk package and 6.9 parts per million of the toxic chemical in Cadbury's Dairy Milk Cookies Chocolate.

"Based on the levels detected, the public is advised to stop consuming the products concerned," CFS's spokesman said in the statement.

"So far, we have tested 48 samples of nutrition supplements for hospital use and all are satisfactory. We will continue to collect samples of dairy products and products with dairy ingredients for testing."

According to the authorities, the legal limit for melamine in these products is 2.5 parts per million in Hong Kong.

The officials said some producers have started using the industrial chemical melamine to create watered-down milk, which would raise nitrogen content that will show milk to have higher protein content.