PETALING JAYA: Major supermarket chains are in the midst of checking their inventories to remove products which may contain milk ingredients from China.

However, they have not received any instruction from the Health Ministry regarding the widened ban on confectionery with milk, chocolate, milk chocolate and white chocolate which contain milk from China.

Tesco's corporate and legal affairs director Azlam Shah Alias said: "Our technical team is checking our inventory now. If a product is found to have any of the banned ingredient, we will take it off the shelves."

Carrefour will also adhere to directives sent by the ministry, said its public relations director Raf Adiba Radzi.

"But we have yet to receive one from the ministry," she said, adding that the ministry had given general directives like this in the past but "not necessarily for milk products".

On Friday, Singapore's Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) advised consumers to avoid buying "White Rabbit Creamy Candy", "Yili Brand Fruit Bar Yogurt" flavoured ice confectionery and "Dutch Lady" strawberry-flavoured milk after they were found to contain melamine.

Retailers and importers were also ordered to not sell milk, ice-cream, yoghurt, confections like chocolates, biscuits and sweets containing milk from China.

Unilever (Malaysia) Holdings, Dutch Lady and Nestle have all released statements saying that their products in Malaysia used milk or whey powder from the Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand and the United States.

Local firm Hai-O was surprised that the "Monmilk" brand under Mengniu would also be banned, adding that it had just signed a distribution deal with the Chinese firm.

"We are very surprised. Mengniu is supposed to be one of the top firms in China, with stringent quality controls," said a Hai-O representative.