Issue Date

2012-04-24

Source of Information

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS)

Food Product

Balsamic vinaigrette and sports drink powder

(1) Brand name and food name: Good Housekeeping good food Italian Balsamic Vinaigrette
Manufacturer: Tulocay & Co
Importer: City’super
Place of origin: USA
Net weight: 350 milli-litre (bottle)
Best before date: December 6, 2012

(2) Brand name and food name: TOPVALU Sports Drink POWDER
Manufacturer: AEON Co Ltd
Importer: AIC Merchandising (Japan) Ltd
Place of origin: Japan
Net weight: 64 gramme per sachet (five sachets in each box)
Best before date: September 12, 2012

Reason For Issuing Alert

The balsamic vinaigrette contained a plasticiser, Di-isodecyl phthalate (DIDP) at a level of 130 parts per million (ppm), exceeding the action level of 9ppm adopted by the CFS. The sports drink powder contained a plasticiser, di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) at a level of 2.3ppm, exceeding the action level of 1.5ppm adopted by the CFS.

Action Taken by the Centre for Food Safety

The CFS has instructed the importers to immediately stop selling and recall the affected batches of the products.

The CFS will follow up the case, closely monitor the recall arrangements and conduct checks at retail outlets to see if the affected batches are available for sale.

Advice to the Trade

Stop selling the affected product.

Advice to Consumers

Stop consuming the affected product.
Dietary exposure estimation revealed that the exposure to plasticisers by consumers would not exceed the safety reference value and have no health concern from consuming the affected sample.

Further Information

The CFS press release

CFS Website: Plasticisers in food

The importers had initiated their own product recall and set up a hotline at 2375 8222 (vinaigrette) and 2884 6888 (sports drink powder) during office hours to answer consumers' enquiries about recall arrangements.