BANGKOK, Aug 14 (Bernama) — Thailand has not imported Häagen-Dazs ice cream products which were reported to have high levels of carcinogenic element Ethylene Oxide (ETO), its Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said.
In a statement, Deputy secretary-general of Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Weerachai Nolwachai said inspection found Thailand did not import any of the implicated products, thus far.
“We would like to assure the public that FDA always strictly fulfills the inspection requirements for all imported products.
“FDA also closely monitors food safety in other countries,” he said.
The European Union Rapid Alerts Systems for Food and Feed (EURASAFF) in their notification report said that the recall was made after they found that the ice cream products in France contain vanilla extract from Madagascar that was found to contain ETO above the permitted level.
ETO is a chemical gas compound often used for fumigation purposes to kill pests such as insects.
It is also used as an active ingredient in detergents and is not permitted for use on surfaces that come into contact with food.
Countries including Malaysia, Singapore and Belgium ordered a recall of certain Häagen-Dazs ice-creams following the presence of ETO.
— BERNAMA