City of York Council's food and safety unit is writing to traders in the city advising them to withdraw Chinese honey from sale.

The warning follows advice from the Food Standards Agency which has today issued a food hazard warning in relation to the presence of chloramphenicol in Chinese honey.

Alan Noonan, the council's senior food and safety officer, said, "Chloramphenicol is an antibiotic and in the levels found presents a very small risk to public health - however, its presence in honey is illegal."

The FSA is not advising against eating products that contain a small amount of honey - including Chinese and blended honey - such as breakfast cereals and honey glazed ham due to the low risk. Consumers can also continue to use any honey they have already bought.

Retailers are being asked to withdraw all Chinese honey, including blended honey containing Chinese honey, unless they can ensure that the product does not contain Chinese honey. They should assume that blended honey does have a component of Chinese honey unless labelling clearly excludes this. Retailers are also being asked to contact their suppliers as with other trade withdrawals.

A letter is being sent to all premises that maybe affected by the product withdrawal. Anyone seeking further information and advice should contact the food and safety unit on 01904 551525.

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