There is no need to recall Kit Kat chocolate bars sold in Thailand because they are not made in the UK, the source of the contaminated bars which led to their recall in nine countries, corporate affairs director of Nestle (Thailand) Ltd Nophadol Siwabutr said on Wednesday.
Nestle Thailand: Nothing to see here, please move along.
There were no safety or health issues with the Kit Kat bars sold in Thailand, he said. They are produced at a factory in Malaysia.
Mr Nophadol was responding questions by the Bangkok Post about the push by the Foundation for Consumers for the company to recall its Kit Kat Chunky collection from the shelves after a consumer in Sing Buri reported finding plastic in one of the snacks bought from a modern hypermarket in the province.
Mr Nophadol said the health and safety of consumers and the quality of Nestle products are of the highest priority for the company.
"I can confirm to you that there is no health or safety issue with Kit Kat that we import into Thailand. It is manufactured by Nestle in Malaysia," he said.
Nestle recalled six varieties of its Kit Kat Chunky collection in late March after seven consumers in the UK complained of finding small pieces of plastic in the confectionary bar. The voluntary recall covers products sold in the UK, Germany, Switzerland, Malta, Austria, Singapore, the Philippines and Canada - all made at the same factory in the UK.
Mr Nophadol said two concerns were raised by the foundation.
The first, that parts of the packaging sometimes stick to the product. This may happen if the product melts and is then re-cooled, he said. He recommend that packaging be removed completely before consumption.
He said the second issue is to do with Kit Kat Chunky products that are manufactured in the UK and which are not imported and sold in Thailand by Nestle or its official distributor.
Itthaboon Onwongsa, chief of the foundation's Consumer Rights Protection Centre, said the fact that traces of plastic were also found in products bought in Thailand proves that the issue is not limited only to some countries, and that the risk may spread to any place where the products are available.
"This is the responsibility of the manufacturer, who should apply the same standard. There should have been a recall in Thailand before the same problem was found in Sing Buri," he said.