MDA issues consumer advisory for Fortuna Sugar Crackers Agriculture department's lab tests found melamine in product samples ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is advising consumers to avoid eating Fortuna brand sugar crackers after laboratory testing found a sample of the product to be contaminated with melamine. Anyone who has purchased these items should discard them.
The contaminated products were collected from Dragon Star grocery store in St. Paul. The crackers were imported to the U.S. by an Indonesian company. To help consumers identify the product, a color photograph is available on the MDA website at www.mda.state.mn.us.
Tests conducted by the MDA laboratory found several of the crackers had melamine levels that exceeded the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) limit of 2.5 parts per million. The highest level detected was 6.19 parts per million. While exposure to melamine can cause kidney and urinary tract problems, the Minnesota Department of Health has not reported any illnesses associated with consumption of these crackers.
MDA has alerted FDA to its finding. MDA is also conducting a broader search for Fortuna products that may be sold in other stores around the state.
Melamine is a synthetic chemical with a variety of industrial uses. It does not occur naturally in food, but it has been associated with a number of food recalls linked to products made in China and Southeast Asia. For more information about melamine and related food or feed recalls, visit the FDA website at www.fda.gov.
Source: Minnesota Department of Agriculture
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