Shoppers have been warned about traces of a banned harmful substance found in a number of nutritional supplements.
Environmental health officers at Sunderland City Council are working with chemists and health food shops to ensure none of the products on sale contain the substance chloramphenicol, a potentially dangerous antibiotic.
The Food Standards Agency carried out precautionary checks on Chinese products on sale in Britain after concern over controls on the use of certain veterinary medicines in China.
The checks found that in six samples of the supplement Royal Jelly all contained traces of chloramphenicol.
As a result, retailers have been asked to withdraw any products containing Royal Jelly, although the amount of the substance consumed by taking Royal Jelly is very low.
The council says the potential risk is extremely small, but there is a known risk to sufferers of the rare blood disorder aplastic anaemia.
Anyone concerned can contact the Environmental Health Service on 0191-553 1661
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