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Faecal bacteria found in Ikea chocolate cakes

Published: 5 Mar 13 17:02 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/46544/20130305/

Health authorities in China have confiscated nearly two tonnes of chocolate cakes imported from Sweden by Ikea after finding high levels of bacteria commonly found in the human intestinal tract.

According to the Shanghai Daily, high levels of coliform bacteria were found in a shipment of Ikea's almond chocolate cakes, prompting authorities to seize and destroy 1.87 tonnes of the dessert.

The shipment arrived in Shanghai from Sweden in January.

Coliform bacteria are universally present in large numbers in the faeces of warm-blooded animals and are commonly used bacterial indicator for testing the sanitary quality of foods and water.

Ikea officials have since pointed that the bacteria was not healthy

"We now know that it’s a coliform bacteria that’s not dangerous to people’s health, not as with E. Coli or anything similar," Sara Paulsson of Ikea told the TT news agency.

"But we’ll never know exactly which bacteria it is because the cakes have been destroyed."

The cakes have not been sold in Sweden.

The Local, now in Spain at www.thelocal.es

The Ikea chocolate cakes were one of 247 different products from a range of suppliers that failed Chinese sanitation inspections, the Shanghai Daily reported.

"We buy chocolate from one supplier. That it's of high quality, that checks are carried out in all warehouses, and that rules are followed are obviously all important questions," Ikea spokeswoman Ylva Magnusson told TT.

The revelations that faecal bacteria were found in Ikea's chocolate cakes comes just a week after horsemeat was found in the company's Swedish meatballs, prompting a massive recall.

On Monday, the Sweden-based meatball supplier to Ikea stores in Europe said it had traced the horsemeat to a Swedish supplier with ties to slaughterhouses in Poland.

Speaking with the Aftonbladet newspaper, Magnusson emphasized Ikea's commitment to quality.

"It's important that products that might contain bacteria don't make it to customers," she said.

"The safety of our products is our highest priority."

Ikea has since been in contact with manufacturer Almondy to determine exactly where in the chain things turned sour.

TT/The Local/dl
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09:28 March 5, 2013 by Mxzf
Also in related news,

http://www.voanews.com/content/china-promises-improvements-as-congress-opens/1615289.html

(Ie, I wonder if someone failed to bribe someone. Ikea doesn't like bribing people.)
09:56 March 5, 2013 by J Jack
stick to selling furniture ..
10:41 March 5, 2013 by byke
Headlines : Swedish food tastes like sh*t .... Literally
11:47 March 5, 2013 by johnny1939
I would be highly suspicious of such a report coming out of China. I find it hard to believe that "Holy Ikea" has totally lost control over their food products. If so, I agree, w/ J Jack..stick to furniture and forget meatballs or stick to known brands.
12:04 March 5, 2013 by salalah
Ewwwwww..... Yuk!

Go to Ikea, do not eat meatballs and skip the cake :)
12:27 March 5, 2013 by John.Smith
Maybe it was Horsesh1t?
13:46 March 5, 2013 by AleksandrsBalodis
Just take a look at sanitation at most public catering places.

Think twice before order something!

There are some rules for sanitation from government, but it looks like no one accept them.

And do not forget about Swedens people habits to eat everywhere without washing hands, putting dirty fingers in mouth to search something stucked between tooths.
15:49 March 5, 2013 by Max Reaver
@AleksandrsBalodis

Agreed. I once worked a shift at a student-run pub, after that I never want to eat there again.

People in Sweden don't wash their hands often compared to other countries. Could be due to Sweden is in general more clean, but such practice is really needed elsewhere or in the food industry. I've seen Swedish kids pick up food from the floor and stuff into their mouth. In any other country it would've cause the parent making the kid spit it.
16:09 March 5, 2013 by Svensksmith
First the horsemeat, now this. Coincidence...or an organized attack upon IKEA?

I suspect Wal-mart.
19:23 March 5, 2013 by muscle
@Svensksmith: or perhaps.. an attack on Sweden... as few but popular business chains were found to be selling meat with horsemeat. :)

But now jokes apart, I have been reading news about food getting mixed up with different substances for the last couple of years in Sweden. I thought, may be it would be different now that I came to a developed country, but I guess few things never change regardless of what rules are imposed... or whatever country it is.
19:48 March 5, 2013 by krstaja
anyone has a recipe for this cake?? pleaseeeeeeee help. I ate it last year in Stockholm, and i really liked :*
20:22 March 5, 2013 by byke
Inst IKEA a lovely company.

Allegedly founded by a person with strong ties to a NAZI background.

Employed slave labour east Germany to make their furniture.

Had to remove a large portion of its contaminated food after illegal contents of horse were found to be in it.

And now there are reports of poo in the food.

I dont think this is a conspiracy, what more do expect from a company so closely associated with Nazi Germany?
21:23 March 5, 2013 by Peter1234
I lived several years in China - the by far dirtiest, most polluted and most unhygenic country (of many), which I have ever seen! And: Corruption everywhere, low education (political purpose) no laws except one: Don't bother the government! When now China says that Swedish food is polluted, then there is a big chance that there is manipulation and political purpose involved.
21:53 March 5, 2013 by muscle
Guys, i think its just a simple problem probably caused by carelessness. I don't really think there is any conspiracy against sweden or ikea or all other businesses.

@Peter1234: There is always a tough competition between the top three big economies. But for rest of the economies, no body cares or bothers to launch any conspiracy as they can easily be controlled by the top two big economies!
22:16 March 5, 2013 by Svensksmith
@krstaja

There is a recipe for this cake on the movie, "The Help."
08:26 March 6, 2013 by RobinHood
This discovery is entirely unrelated to IKEA's policy of not paying bribes to corrupt Chinese government employees.
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