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HEALTH HAZARD ALERT

BETTER TREE BRAND LA BO DE VEGETARIAN SOYA SAUCE MAY CONTAIN HARMFUL CHEMICAL CONTAMINANTS: 1,3-DCP AND 3-MCPD

OTTAWA, March 22, 2005 - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and and Kim Phat Inc. are warning the public not to consume Better Tree brand LA BO DE Vegetarian Soya Sauce as it may contain harmful chemical contaminants: 1,3-DCP and 3-MCPD.

The affected product, Better Tree brand LA BO DE Vegetarian Soya Sauce, a product of Vietnam, is sold in a 650 ml glass container bearing UPC 0 2917307170 9. The affected product does not contain any lot codes.

The importer, Kim Phat Inc., Montreal, Quebec, is voluntarily recalling the affected product from the marketplace. This product is known to have been distributed in Quebec.

The affected product was found to contain high levels of 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD) and 1,3-dichloropropanediol (1,3-DCP ), both of which belong to a group of chemicals known as chloropropanols. While 3-MCPD is a precursor to 1,3-DCP , the latter, which is acknowledged as a genotoxic carcinogen, is considered the more serious threat to human health. There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of this product.

The CFIA is monitoring the effectiveness of the recall.

Additional information on this issue may be viewed at:
CFIA's Fact Sheet, Questions and Answers - Oyster and Soya Sauces
http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/foodfacts/oystere.shtml

For more information, consumers and industry can call the following numbers:

Steve Yip, Kim Phat Inc. at (514) 727-9999.

CFIA at 1-800-442-2342. 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. local time - Monday to Friday.

For information on receiving recalls by electronic mail, or for other food safety facts, visit our web site at www.inspection.gc.ca.

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