Swedish retailer IKEA is withdrawing almond cakes from its restaurants in 23 countries after two batches of the samples in China were found to be contaminated by excessive levels of coliform bacteria.
IKEA stated that about 1,800 Tarta Chokladkrokant cakes (almond cakes with butter cream and butterscotch) imported to China were seized and destroyed by the Chinese customs authorities on 12 December after the tests revealed the presence of high levels of coliform bacteria.
The cakes that headed to an IKEA store in Shanghai were from Swedish firm Almondy, which supplies all of the almond cakes served in the majority of IKEA stores across the globe.
IKEA spokeswoman Ylva Magnusson was quoted by the Wall Street Journal as saying that the Chinese customs officials have found the contamination and the company decided to discard the cakes from sale in all markets.
Coliform bacteria is usually found in soil, vegetation, water and in the feces of humans and warm-blooded animals.
In February, the company recalled meatballs and sausages from at least 24 countries after the Czech authorities found traces of horsemeat in its Kottbullar range.
