Recall of cod liver oil tubs in Britain: Local batch safe

Malay Mail: Merck Sdn Bhd has assured consumers that Seven Seas products in Malaysia are safe.
It reiterated that the products withdrawn from the British market are not distributed here.
"We have checked with the Seven Seas headquarters in Britain and confirmed that the withdrawn products are not distributed here," said Siti Nooruhani Ibrahim, Merck’s pharmaceutical division general manager (consumer health care). Merck is the distributor for Seven Seas products in Malaysia.
She said the Health Ministry has also quizzed the company about the matter.
"We have submitted our explanation to the Ministry and they are satisfied with it," she told The Malay Mail yesterday.
She said the withdrawal of the products were made voluntarily in Britain by Seven Seas after it was found that the products did not meet the company’s strict specifications. The level of dioxin in the products is low.
"Daily intake of the withdrawn products would only amount to about one-fiftieth of the dioxin amount found in food," she said, adding that consumers can continue using the products without fear.
Last week, it was reported in The Malay Mail that Seven Seas, a fully-owned subsidiary of German pharmaceutical company Merck KGaA, was taking a number of the health supplements off the shelves after they were found to be contaminated with cancer-causing dioxins.
Britain’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) said the dioxin level found in the supplements was 2.7 micrograms per kilo, some 35 per cent above the legal limit of 2 micrograms.
Both the FSA and Seven Seas described the higher level of pollutants as a "technical breach" rather than a risk to health.
Following the report, a number of The Malay Mail readers called in to ask if the products are safe for consumption.
The Seven Seas brand, especially its fish oil products, is a popular supplement in Malaysia.