New Zealand Food Safety is supporting Tokyo Food Company Ltd and Wholesale Club in their recall of imported Morinaga brand Manna Bolo baby biscuits because the products may contain animal droppings.
"The concern with these biscuits is that they are marketed at babies and young children, who could get seriously sick from bacteria like E. coli and Salmonella if they swallow animal droppings," says New Zealand Food Safety deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle.
"These products should not be eaten. People can return them to the place of purchase for a refund or, if that’s not possible, throw them away."
The affected products are imported and have also been recalled in Japan, Singapore, and Hong Kong. They are sold at ethnic grocery stores nationwide.
Visit New Zealand Food Safety’s recall page for more information and photographs of the affected product.
Symptoms of salmonellosis and E. coli infection include stomach cramps, diarrhoea, fever, headache, nausea, and throwing up.
If your child has consumed any of these biscuits and you are concerned for their health, contact your health professional, or call Healthline on 0800 61 11 16 for free advice.
New Zealand Food Safety has not received any complaints or notifications of associated illness.
The products have been removed from store shelves and have not been re-exported.
"Japanese food safety authorities are responsible for this matter, and we have not been informed which type of animal dropping this might be," Mr Arbuckle said.
The vast majority of food sold in New Zealand is safe, but sometimes problems can occur. Help keep yourself and your family safe by subscribing to our recall alerts.
More information on how to subscribe
For further information and general enquiries, call MPI on 0800 00 83 33 or email info@mpi.govt.nz
For media enquiries, contact the media team on 029 894 0328.
