Just days after Ikea pulled hundreds of thousands of its meatballs from European store shelves, the company has stopped selling almond cakes in its restaurants in 23 countries over concerns they may contain fecal matter.
Chinese authorities said Taarta Chokladkrokant imported from Sweden failed tests "for containing an excessive level of coliform bacteria," the Shanghai Daily reported on its website.
"These cakes never reached our stores," Ikea spokeswoman Ylva Magnusson told France 24.
The problem was discovered when Chinese customs officials intercepted the batch of 1,800 cakes — described on Ikea's website as almond cake with chocolate and butterscotch, topped with butter cream and chocolate-coated marshmallow pieces. The product was imported in January but has now been destroyed, according to the Shanghai Daily.
Last week Ikea stopped meatball sales in stores across most of Europe, and in Hong Kong, Thailand and the Dominican Republic, all supplied by Familjen Dafgard. It then discontinued sales of all minced meat products from its main supplier.
So far, no food sales have been stopped in Ikea stores in Canada.
