SINGAPORE: Over 15 brands of China—made products have been taken
off the shelves, amid growing consumer concern in Singapore over
the tainted milk scandal. Major supermarkets such as Cold Storage
and NTUC FairPrice are also playing it safe by checking that items
made in other countries do not contain dairy from China.
Since Friday, boxes of China—made food items have been piling up
in a storage area at Sheng Siong supermarket.
The chain has removed over 20 products as a precautionary
measure, including bread and biscuits. These include Want Want
Crunchy Wafer, Oreo Wafer Sticks, Snickers Peanut snack—sized bars,
and Dove Hazelnut Milk Chocolate.
Cold Storage and NTUC FairPrice have also recalled items such as
condensed milk, crackers and butter.
Said one customer: "We’re very worried. My friends and I are
trying to refrain from buying China products which involve
milk."
"We should be careful in selecting our brands. We must be very
careful about those concerning milk powder," said another
customer.
Some retailers said the affected items constitute a relatively
small portion of their inventory. They’re now stocking up on
products from alternative sources to ensure shelves don’t remain
empty.
Chong Nyet Chin, director, Food Safety and Quality, NTUC
FairPrice, said: "We also take some precautionary measure on our
end. We see whether there are other products which may not be made
in China but the source of the raw material was purchased from
China."
Some distributors here have been assured by their suppliers in
China that their products have not been contaminated. Others will
also provide laboratory test results to verify that their items are
safe.
However, major supermarkets like NTUC FairPrice and Sheng Siong
said that until Singapore’s food safety authority gives the green
light, many of the affected items will remain off the shelf. —
CNA/vm