Investigators have raided Sydney warehouses, seizing thousands of food products banned in Australia due to their danger to children. Fair trading investigators raided the warehouses at Banksmeadow, Wetherill Park and Wentworth Point in the city’s west, where more than 11,300 mini jelly cups were seized. The items have been illegal to sell or import for more than 20 years as they use a binding agent called konjac which causes choking hazards.
The binding agent killed a three-year-old boy before they were made illegal in Australia. “The binding agent that binds the jelly together doesn’t dissolve when put in someone’s mouth therefore they act like a plug and block the airway,” David Byrne from Customer Service NSW told 9News. “It translates to a whole lot of risk of death, to as many people who were at Leichhardt Oval last night watching the footy.
” Konjac is only illegal in Australia when it is used in a product smaller than 4.5cm long or wide. The raids came after a customer spotted a mini jelly cup containing konjac on the shelf of a store in Banksmeadow.
NSW Police said a large shipment was imported from overseas and distributed between the shops. The goods have since been destroyed, with the stores potentially facing $50 million in fines if caught selling the product..
