Health inspectors have seized 257 packets of biscuits produced in China because they contained traces of the industrial chemical melamine, which is used to make plastic.
Any remaining stock of the Koala and White Rabbit biscuits was sealed and removed from the local market during a monitoring exercise by the Department for Environmental Health carried out yesterday, following a health scare in China on products containing milk. Two weeks ago the European Commission had imposed a ban on EU imports of Chinese baby food that contained traces of milk after 53,000 children who consumed contaminated milk powder in China fell ill.
Although the department said that those who have consumed these products need not worry, they should refrain from eating them if they still have them.
John Attard Kingswell, department director, said that the two brands seized may be found in supermarkets and other retail outlets selling.
"However, the importation of these items appears to be on a low scale and their distribution seems to be limited to a few shops," he said.
Questioned about the amount of melamine such products contained, he said no analysis has been carried locally and the recall was based on results obtained by other countries, including EU member states, such as the Netherlands and Belgium.
Asked how these products were discovered 24 hours after the Food Safety Commission said it found no tainted foodstuffs on the island, Mr Attard Kingswell explained that the situation was still developing and may develop further.
He said the commission had been following this issue since the scandal surfaced in China in mid-September.
"Initially, the issue seemed localised to Asian countries but the information we were getting through the international alert systems started to indicate that composite products manufactured in China, and made from the implicated products, may have been imported into Europe," he said.
"Health inspectors have been checking retail outlets since September 23 and nothing had been found when the first press release was issued," he added.
It was only on Thursday afternoon that the department was informed through the rapid alert system for food and feed (RASFF) that one item had been imported into Malta through the Netherlands.
"Another alert later in the day informed us about the second item, imported by another company.
"So we had no choice but to inform the public accordingly. Once items are imported into Europe, it is only natural that these may find themselves on the local market," he said.
Several people are also concerned about dining in Chinese restaurants. Is there cause for alarm?
"Inspections are being carried out in Chinese restaurants and to date no implicated foodstuffs have been found," he said. Mr Attard Kingswell said that the melamine had been found in milk powder, liquid milk and infant formulae manufactured in China.
"The importation of these items in Malta is prohibited but composite products like biscuits, toffee and other items, where milk and milk products are used as ingredients, may reach our island."
This issue's still being followed by the EU Commission and several scientific committees, such as the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health, which will be holding an ad hoc meeting on Friday.