Australia bans Selecta ice cream over FMD fears

Australia has imposed an indefinite ban on the Selecta ice cream brand over fears that its ingredients could be affected by the incidence of foot and mouth disease (FMD) in the Philippines.

The brand is made by a joint venture between RFM Foods and Unilever's Philippines operations.

However RFM said in a statement today that it would work for the lifting of a ban, noting that all its dairy ingredients are sourced from Australia.

Other Philippine-based ice cream manufacturers such as Magnolia Products, a subsidiary of San Miguel Foods, have not penetrated the Australian market.