Cadbury's Chocolate Safe in U.S.

Cadbury's Chocolate Recall Limited to Asia, Australia; Company Notes Melamine Risk

By Miranda Hitti
WebMD Health News

Reviewed By Louise Chang, MD

Sept. 29, 2008 -- The chocolate company Cadbury is temporarily taking certain chocolate products off the market -- but only in Asia and Australia.

In a news release, Cadbury calls the move a "precautionary step" because some Chinese dairy products are tainted with melamine, a chemical that artificially makes milk appear to have more protein.

Melamine can cause kidney diseases. In China, three babies have died and more than 54,000 have sought medical treatment related to melamine-tainted dairy products, according to the World Health Organization.

The FDA is following China's melamine problem. As of Sept. 25, FDA testing of milk-based products imported into the U.S. from China hadn't turned up any melamine contamination. The FDA warns against using Chinese-made infant formulas, which aren't approved for sale in the U.S.

Cadbury Chocolate

Cadbury is withdrawing a range of its chocolate products and Choclairs -- all made at Cadbury's Beijing plant -- from the market in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Australia.

Cadbury products made at that plant are only exported to Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Australia.

Cadbury Eclairs are also temporarily coming off the market in Australia because they were made in Beijing. Cadbury states that a "small amount" of that product had also been exported to Christmas Island (an Australian territory in the Indian Ocean), and the South Pacific island nation of Nauru.

"No other products and countries are affected and consumers in all other countries can continue to enjoy our products with confidence," states Cadbury, adding that "Chinese dairy products are not used in any other Cadbury products we manufacture outside China."

Cadbury plans to get those products back on the market in Asia and Australia as soon as possible.

Other Melamine Recalls

Although Cadbury products sold in the U.S. are safe to eat, another sweet -- White Rabbit Candy -- is being recalled because it might be tainted with melamine.

QFCO Inc. of Burlingame, Calif., is recalling White Rabbit Candy, which was distributed in California, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Texas, and Washington state. All packages have a logo of a white rabbit on the front with the words "White Rabbit." No illnesses have been linked to White Rabbit Candy.

You can return White Rabbit Candy to the place of purchase for a full refund. For more information on the White Rabbit Candy recall, call QFCO at 650-697-6633.

Last week, the FDA also warned consumers to avoid seven Mr. Brown instant coffee and milk tea products made by the Taiwanese company King Car Food Industrial Co. Ltd because the nondairy creamer used to make those products may contain melamine. Those products are:

• Mr. Brown Mandheling Blend Instant Coffee (3-in-1)
• Mr. Brown Arabica Instant Coffee (3-in-1)
• Mr. Brown Blue Mountain Blend Instant Coffee (3-in-1)
• Mr. Brown Caramel Macchiato Instant Coffee (3-in-1)
• Mr. Brown French Vanilla Instant Coffee (3-in-1)
• Mr. Brown Mandhling Blend Instant Coffee (2-in-1)
• Mr. Brown Milk Tea (3-in-1)

SOURCES: News release, Cadbury. WebMD Health News: "FDA: Don't Use Chinese Infant Formula." World Health Organization: "Melamine-Contaminated Powdered Infant Formula in China -- Update 2." News release, FDA.

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