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Pizza Hut Taiwan removes tainted cheese packets
September 25, 2008
TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Pizza Hut Taiwan on Friday started an investigation into melamine found in its cheese packets after tests showed a high level of the toxic chemical melamine. The investigation came amid reports of the first suspected case in Taiwan in which a child was recently diagnosed to have a kidney stone and four other suspected cases in which children showed signs of inflammation, possibly because of consuming tainted milk powder, health officials said.
Health authorities were determining if the problems of the five children were caused by the toxic industrial chemical.
On Friday, the new health minister announced that the government had set new inspection criteria -- that no melamine can be detected from all dairy and non-dairy products -- reversing its previous decision of no more than 2.5 parts per million in concentrations as the standard for inspection.
Meanwhile, Pizza Hut in Taiwan recalled all cheese powder packets for the 145 Pizza Hut outlets there provided for take-out orders.
The packets were recalled after tests showed they contained melamine concentrations of 70 parts per million, spokeswoman Wu Yu-ping said at a news conference. Such a reading is 28 times higher than Taiwan's safety threshold.
Pizza Hut Taiwan was informed of the test result late Thursday, and the supplier, Pick Food and Machinery Corp, halted production of the cheese packets supplied only to Pizza Hut.Pick Food said the creamer and cheese powder for making the cheese packets were supplied by Fonterra Brands Pte Ltd. and the Persnam Corp.
Fonterra said its cheese powder came from New Zealand and was cleared of melamine by tests in Taiwan.Persnam Corp said its creamer was supplied by Eonlipids SDN BHD of Malaysia, and it has asked the Malaysian supplier to provide safety information.
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