Merba cookies removed from shelves

West Indian Traders Ltd has said all contaminated MERBA products have been removed from shelves and disposed of.

The assurance came in a release from the company after the Health Ministry issued a voluntary recall notice on February 29. The ministry's notice said the recall was due to the presence of metal contaminants in certain products.

"A food alert notification was issued by the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) after small metal pieces were found in the products, produced during the period of December 7, 2023, to December 15, 2023. The metal particles vary in size and consist of thin and long pieces. According to the manufacturer, MERBA B.V., the contamination was due to a broken agitator in a bakery fat storage tank. The tank was taken out of production," it said.

It also warned consuming these contaminated products poses a serious health risk.While the ministry listed eight different products under the recall notice, West Indian Traders Ltd said the recall applies only to specific MERBA products.

These are the cranberry, patisserie double chocolate, and nougatelli cookies from batches 2334503, 2334103, and 2334610.

It said the company had already acted to ensure customers were not at risk.

"We can confirm that all products falling under these specifications have been promptly removed from all shelves and disposed of according to the recommended protocols," the company said.

"We understand the importance of consumer safety and take any potential risks very seriously. Rest assured, we have taken swift action to comply with the recall notice and have ensured that no affected products remain in our inventory."

The other products listed in the ministry's recall are:

• MERBA Triple Chocolate cookies 180 grams with batch code 2334009
• MERBA Chocolate Cookies 225 grams with batch code 2334702
• MERBA Rainbow Cookies 150 grams with batch code 2334702
• MERBA Patisserie Double Choc cookies 200 grams with batch code 2334203
• MERBA Patisserie Triple Chocolate cookies 200 gram with batch code 2334710
• MERBA Patisserie Lemon & White Chocolate cookies with batch code 2334109.