With all the news about recalls and toxins from Chinese-made products, this little item stands out via Reuters yesterday: China has banned imports of children's cookies produced by PT. Arnott's Indonesia, a subsidiary of Campbell Soup Co. (NYSE:CPB). Reuters quotes the People's Daily Online as reporting that China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine said that 1.6 tons of biscuits had "excessively-high aluminum levels," or about three times the level allowed by the Chinese government. The "biscuits" were not identified, but its Web site says it makes "Tim Tam," "Nyam Nyam," "Stikko" and "Good Time" biscuits. No sign that other products from Campbell or Arnotts were involved. We're putting in a call to Camden.
Is there some connection to the Mattel recall, the pet-food fracas and tires scandal? Or is this a Chinese-Indonesia spat? Reuters notes that even as China's own exports have been placed under heightened international scrutiny, it has banned imports of fish and other aquatic products from Indonesia after finding heavy metals in them. Either way, it illustrates that recalls happen, or could happen, all the time, everywhere and anywhere. Just check the Food and Drug Administration's recall page.
