More Contaminated Products From China

There has been a second alert of contaminated product from China hitting Canadian shelves.

This time the alert concerns coffee – nectar of the Gods, in my mind.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is warning that certain types of Mr. Brown 3-in-1 instant coffee (coffee, sugar and milk) are being recalled because they might contain the same melamine powder that has contaminated so much of the milk supply in China.

The CFIA said in a statement Tuesday (Sept. 23, 2008) that the instant coffee products were initially recalled in Taiwan and that their Canadian importer, Thai Indochine Trading Inc., is following suit after melamine was discovered in batches of powdered milk at several major dairies throughout China.

The three coffee blends, sold in 450 gram packages containing 30 bags of 15 grams each, were sold in British Columbia, Alberta and Manitoba. They have not been linked to any illnesses so far.

On Sunday (Sept. 21, 2008), the CFIA issued a similar warning for Nissin Cha Cha Dessert, a product sold in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia.

The products involved in Tuesday's announcement are:

- Instant Coffee 3-in-1 Mandheling Blend Coffee with a universal product code of 4 710085 122523;

- Instant Coffee 3-in-1 Blue Mountain Blend Coffee with a UPC 4 710085 200597

- Instant Coffee 3-in-1 Arabica Coffee with a UPC 4 710085 122509

T & T Supermarkets, a well-known Chinese supermarket in British Columbia, was the first to voluntarily remove all possible contaminated products from their shelves before the information indicated it was necessary. Everyone in the food industry should have the integrity shown by T & T.