No Häagen-Dazs recall in Thailand - FDA

Certain batches of Häagen-Dazs ice cream products that have been found to be contaminated with traces of a chemical linked to cancer have not been imported into Thailand, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) deputy secretary-general Weerachai Nolwachai said on Saturday.

Following the FDA inspection, the implicated products had not been imported into Thailand, he said.

"The public can rest assured that inspection of imported goods remains rigorous, and we are closely monitoring the food safety situation in other countries," Mr Weerachai said.

Several countries have recalled Häagen-Dazs ice creams from sale after an alert was relayed on the EU's Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed system at the request of France, which last month detected 2-Chloroethanol in checks on some of the products. 2-Chloroethanol is a compound found in ethylene oxide (ETO), a carcinogenic chemical used as a pesticide and cleaning chemical and has properties that damage DNA.

The move concerns tubs and mini cups made by Häagen-Dazs, a brand owned by United States manufacturer General Mills, with expiry dates of between March 16 and April 23, 2023, with flavours including Vanilla, Belgian Chocolate, Macadamia Nut Brittle and Pralines & Cream.

People can make inquiries and file complaints related to product safety by calling the FDA hotline at 1556. They can also contact @FDAThai LINE account, FDAThai Facebook account, the Public Health Ministry or provincial public health offices.