One of the most popular brands of Chinese sweets sold in Tesco and other stores across Britain has been contaminated with tainted milk powder.

Some batches of White Rabbit Creamy Candies on sale here contain the potentially hazardous chemical melamine, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has announced. The chemical is believed to have been illegally added to milk in China to disguise illicit dilution.

The addition of the chemical ensures the milk passes any quality control tests on protein levels.

Only small amounts of melamine have been detected in the sweets, one of China’s best known confectionery brands, and the risk to human health is “very low”, but the products are being withdrawn from sale in Britain.

Tesco has already taken the sweets off its shelves but says it has found no evidence that any of its batches were tainted.

The same sweets sold in America, New Zealand and Singapore have been found to be contaminated. “Anyone who has the candy should destroy it,” an American health official said last week.

In China more than 50,000 babies have fallen ill and four have died after consuming milk containing melamine, which is more typically used for plastics and fertiliser production.

The FSA announced on Wednesday that some batches of Chinese-made Koala biscuits on sale in Britain had been found to contain low levels of melamine.

The biscuits, available in chocolate, strawberry, chestnut and melon flavour, are typically sold in Chinese supermarkets and some corner shops.

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