One of the world's biggest chocolate makers, Cadbury recalled around 1 million products in the UK on Friday, saying that they may contain 'minute traces' of the harmful bacteria salmonella.
The bacteria had contaminated certain products after a pipe leaked dirty water onto a chocolate conveyor belt at a UK factory earlier this year. While food authorities in the UK investigate why the firm took so long to reveal the incident, Singapore's Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority recalled all seven of the chocolate lines concerned.
The company's Singapore division said however that it does not import any chocolate made in the UK to Asia and that the authorities "didn't need to issue a recall".
A spokeswoman told AP-Foodtechnology that the government "probably made the wrong assumption that the chocolate was UK-made". Cadbury chocolate found in Singapore is made in Malaysia, Australia or New Zealand.
However she added that some people buy Cadbury products directly from wholesalers in the UK for resale in Singapore and that the firm was aware of this potential risk.
In Malaysia, food authorities also took action, instructing officers to monitor and inspect duty free trade zones, supermarkets and chocolate shops to ensure that UK products were removed from the shelves.
Cadbury's makes the majority of its products for the Malaysian market locally however, with about 10 per cent imported from Australia.
Hong Kong's Centre for Food Safety said it is closely monitoring developments but that it met the local importer for Cadbury's yesterday and had been assured that the affected products have not been imported to Hong Kong.
Cadbury's UK office called the recall there "a precautionary step". However the country has seen an unusually high number of salmonella cases in recent months and media reports raised the possibility that these could be connected to Cadbury's products. But health officials are unable to determine if there is a link.
Cadbury says that the chocolate only reached the shops in April and did not pose a risk.
However, the UK's Food Standards Agency said salmonella contamination is serious and should have been reported immediately.
The products affected are 250g bars of Cadbury Dairy Milk Turkish, Carameland Mint, Cadbury Dairy Milk 8 chunk, Cadbury Dairy Milk 1kg, Cadbury Dairy Milk Button Easter Egg (105 gram) and Cadbury Freddo 10p.