Chelsea Sugar has issued a major recall of its soft brown and raw sugar products after lead contamination was detected during routine testing.
The recall affects eight Chelsea products: Raw 1.2kg, Raw 25kg, Raw 4kg, Raw 500g, Raw Sticks 3g, Soft Brown 1kg, Soft Brown 25kg, and Soft Brown 500g.
Anyone who bought any of these products between October 1 and November 4, 2021 is advised not to consume these products and can return them to the point of purchase for a full refund.
NZ Sugar CEO Bernard Duignan says low-level contamination was detected following routine testing.
"As soon as we identified a potential problem, we contacted New Zealand Food Safety for its assistance to assess test results," he said.
"Through our investigation the contamination appears to have occurred in the supply chain enroute to New Zealand through a single bulk ship delivery that had previously been used for transporting other materials."
He said consumers who have purchased these products shouldn't consume them.
"The advice of New Zealand Food Safety is that the immediate food safety risk from these products is low, however if you have consumed these products and have any concerns about your health, seek medical advice."
NZ Sugar apologised to its customers and consumers for the inconvenience caused by the recall, and invited them to contact Chelsea Sugar on 0800 800 617 if they had any questions.
