• Centre for Food Safety says four batches of the ice cream found to contain ethylene oxide, pesticide banned by European Union
• Affected products include mini cup, pint and bulk sizes with best-before dates between July 3 and July 17, 2023

Haagen-Dazs vanilla ice cream from France was taken off the shelves in Hong Kong for the second time in a month after the product was suspected of containing an unauthorised substance.

The Centre for Food Safety on Sunday said that four batches of the ice cream were found to contain ethylene oxide, a pesticide banned by the European Union. The importer had initiated a recall of the batches in question.

"The (centre) urged the public not to consume the affected batches of the products if they have bought any. The trade should also stop using or selling the affected batches of the products concerned immediately if they possess them," a centre spokesman said.

The batches are Haagen-Dazs vanilla ice cream in mini cup, pint and bulk sizes with best-before dates between July 3 and July 17, 2023.

In June, the centre halted the sale of two batches of the same product, after the pesticide was found by its Taiwanese counterpart.

In a reply to the Post, Haagen-Dazs Hong Kong said the French headquarters had investigated its production line following the June incident and found that the vanilla extract from one supplier was the source of the banned substance.

It emphasised that not all the products contained the chemical. For instance, the other flavours that contained vanilla extract were not affected as the concerned supplier was not involved.

According to the United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, ethylene oxide is a flammable gas with a sweet odour and it is commonly used in industrial cleaning disinfectants.

Exposure to the pesticide may lead to headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and breathing difficulty.

Any inquiries about the recall can be directed to Haagen-Dazs Hong Kong at 2280 4996.

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