New Zealand Food Safety (NZFS) supports Tokyo Food Company Ltd. and Wholesale Club in recalling Morinaga brand Manna Bolo, a Japanese baby biscuit, over fears they may contain animal droppings.
The contamination was discovered after a customer complaint in Japan last week found foreign objects, later identified as rat droppings, in packets of the biscuits.
Japanese food manufacturer Morinaga reportedly notified authorities that two batches of Manna Bolo baby biscuits—the plain variety with a best-before date of June 26, 2025, and the vegetable variety with a best-before date of June 27, 2025—may have been contaminated and has since announced a voluntary recall of about 190,000 units of the affected biscuits.
The exact cause of how the animal droppings ended up in the baby biscuits has not been elaborated on by the authorities or the company. The affected Manna Bolo baby biscuits were imported and sold at ethnic grocery stores nationwide. They have also been recalled in three other countries, such as Japan, Singapore, and Hong Kong.
“The concern with these biscuits is that they are marketed at babies and young children, who could get seriously sick from bacteria like E. coli and Salmonella if they swallow animal droppings.” says NZFS deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle.
“These products should not be eaten. People can return them to the place of purchase for a refund or, if that’s not possible, throw them away,” he added.
Symptoms of salmonellosis and E. coli infection can include stomach pain, diarrhoea, fever, nausea, vomiting, and headache. As of now, New Zealand Food Safety has not received any complaints about the associated illnesses. However, the organisation encourages the public to contact health professionals for concerns or call Healthline on 0800 611 116 for free advice.
Businesses that import food products into New Zealand have a responsibility to ensure the safety and quality of the goods being imported. All businesses that intend to import foods must follow NZ food importing rules and comply with border clearances. Importing rules include ensuring that the good a business is planning to import is suitable for human consumption, that the food is transported and stored in a way that keeps it protected from pests, damage, and adverse environmental conditions, and that the importing business has all the comprehensive records that describe the food as well as the supplier or manufacturer of the food being imported.
When problems arise, the importer must have procedures ready in case they need to recall a product. Relevant authorities must be notified, and clear instructions on how to return or dispose of the contaminated goods must be provided to consumers.
To further ensure adherence to standards and protect consumer health, check for any restrictions, as some items may be restricted or require special permits, and understand the tariffs that will apply based on the goods and country of origin.