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A public worker rides a bicycle in front of an Ikea shop on March 6 in Shanghai, China. Chinese authorities say they have destroyed nearly two tons of chocolate cake imported by Sweden's Ikea for violating food quality standards.
LONDON — Furniture chain Ikea has removed chocolate cake from store restaurants in 23 countries after authorities in China identified high levels of bacteria commonly found in human and animal feces in one batch of the treat.
However, none of the contaminated batch had been shipped to stores in the U.S. and the food in question — an almond, chocolate and butterscotch cake — had not been sold as a take-home product.
"This is not a product recall," Ikea spokeswoman Ylva Magnusson said. "There’s no risk that anyone has a contaminated cake at home in their freezer."
The contamination came to light earlier this week when the Shanghai quarantine bureau revealed it had destroyed 4,100 pounds of imported Ikea chocolate cake that was found to contain excessive levels of coliform bacteria.
The food, from a supplier based in Sweden, was destroyed in November and December, but Ikea’s head office only found out about it Monday.
As a precaution, Ikea announced it had removed the cake from sale in 23 countries. Magnusson said there was no health risk. "None of the [affected] cakes made it to our restaurants," she said.
Czech Republic officials say traces of horse meat were discovered in frozen packages of meatballs sent to their country for sale at furniture giant Ikea. NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports.
Some forms of coliform bacteria are commonly found in the environment and Ikea said the type found in Shanghai did not pose a health risk. However, it said its own quality controls required no coliform be present at all.
This latest food scare came just days after Ikea's trademark meatballs were removed from sale in Europe after horse meat was found in some batches - part of a wider scandal over mislabeled meat there. The tainted batches were traced to a Sweden-based supplier. Meatballs sold in Ikea’s US stores contain only beef and pork from animals raised in the U.S. and Canada.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Related:
Horse meat in the US? Unlikely, but tests are rare
'Fraud on a massive scale': Europe's horse meat scandal keeps on growing
'Criminal conspiracy' blamed for European horse-in-burger scandal
Leave a Comment:
Is it beginning to look like a furniture store is not a good place to eat or by food? "I kea" think so....
The headline reads...
Then the story goes on to say...
Am I missing something here?!
They're saying they won't have to recall "take-home" products, because those were not affected... so if you have it in your freezer then it should be fine.
Regardless I think I'll avoid Ikea foods for the time being...
You know it's bad when China of all countries is recalling your food...the country that sold melamine tainted infant formula and contaimated dog food. SMH.
Did the cake come with "Horsey sauce"?
IKEA you better stick to furniture.
Is it really that hard to wash your hands when you are done with your business.
Sounds like someone actually did their business directly into the cake mix.
You know who makes the best cakes? The furniture store down the road...
LOL, thanks for that one.
It's a great place for horsemeatballs, too.
Perhaps Ikea should get out of the food business.
IKEA:
Cheap @!$%#e furniture and Cheap @!$%#e food.
China has guts saying someone else's product is tainted or below standard. They send out some of the worst products on the planet! The cake was probably imported by IKEA from China - LOL!!!
Only given to the goose who been doing it to the gander for a very long time.. I am surprise with all that smog in China they can find anything..
talk about the cake tasting @!$%#ty !!
I go to the Food store to buy my Furniture, always fresh
Meh!, ask me if Ikea
Clever. And agreed with.
I never went there and dont plan to either !!
Where oh where is Ikea's quality control? They are letting poor manufacturing slaughter their brand name. Where is the CEO in all of this. Get your head out of the fjords, Mikael Ohlsson, or is the new CEO taking the hit?
China = Pot calling the Kettle black ?
Talk about some sh***y cake. That's why I go to a bakery for my baking goods and a furniture store for my furniture. If my baker started selling couches. I would need to find another bakery
IKEA needs to get out of the food business...
First the meatballs (which I loved!) and now the cake...sorry Ikea...I will be eating across the street at the mall...
The horsemeat cake is much better. The next batch of chocolate cakes from IKEA will be advertised as "50% less bacteria than those other cakes"
Ikea is 100% responsible for the tainted food making it to their stores. It's their job to know and monitor what their suppliers are delivering to them.They were very lax in an area that needs constant monitoring....I hope they get their ass sued off for being so neglegent.
Best Ikea stick with furniture and close the food courts cause there is no way I would eat there beteween horse meat and now this!
Nothing beats horse meat and sh-t as the perfect accoutrements for modern Swedish furniture . . .
All things considered, Martha Stewart and J. C. Penny are looking pretty good these days, really . . .
Really! :-o
The first place I think of for meatballs and cake....the furniture store.
As Ace Venture would say: "Yuuummmy!"
When are the simpletons who run our country going to get it? China is presently one of the main food providers for the US, like we are now not only too dumb to manufacture our own products but also our farmers cannot grow our own food. What a crock!! Folks need to start reading labels for country of origin, not just calories & fat. Cheap food-- give it to your own people China. Only one more reason to buy local from people you know.