Pizza Hut Taiwan investigates melamine found in cheese packets

Sep 26, 2008, 3:48 GMT

   Taipei - Pizza Hut Taiwan on Friday began an investigation into melamine found in its cheese packets after tests showed a high level of the chemical.

   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

   'We have asked our supplier to guarantee the safety of cheese packets in future, and we offer our deepest apology to customers,' she said.

   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 for the 145 Pizza Hut outlets in Taiwan 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.

   A scare over melamine-contaminated dairy products began in China last week after four babies died and at least 53,000 became ill with kidney diseases.

   Melamine, a chemical used to produce plastics and fertilizers, was first found in baby formula made by China's Sanlu Group Co, which is 43-per-cent owned by New Zealand's Fonterra Cooperative Group.