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The Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority obtained a clear proof that the filled chocolate sticks known under the trademark "Merci Finest Selection" with the minimum durability date of 1.5. 2002 had indeed been contaminated with Salmonella. The National Reference Laboratory of the National Health Institute in Prague also confirmed the results of analyses performed by CAFIA.

Based on the existing suspicion that the contaminated chocolate sticks produced by the German company Storck Service were imported to the Czech market, CAFIA carried out an inspection in warehouses of the distribution companies at the end of last week. The inspectors identified that almost 46 thousand packages of "Merci" chocolate sticks had been imported to the Czech Republic, having the same labelling as those batches that the German producer had already withdrawn from markets in other European countries.

The import company VDG, spol. s r.o., is obliged to withdraw, without delay, from circulation the chocolate sticks "Merci Finest Selection" with the minimum durability dates of 1.4.2002 and 1.5.2002.

In other products of the same trademark imported to the Czech Republic after 30 June 2001, both the distribution company VDG and Storck Czech Republic, s.r.o., the second importer, will have to prove that the products are safe.

CAFIA will pass the information about the detection of Salmonella in "Merci" chocolate sticks to the Rapid Alert System that has been established in the EU countries and is used to transmit data on risky foodstuffs occurring in the EU countries markets. The information will also be transmitted to the TRAPEX system, carrying out a similar function for the countries of Central and Eastern Europe.

The Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority strongly advises consumers from eating up the above product