Lipton-brand milk tea powder recalled in Asia

? Anglo-Dutch food giant Unilever is recalling its Lipton-brand milk tea powder in Hong Kong and Macau after they were found to contain traces of a banned industrial chemical, the company said Tuesday.

The recall of four batches of Lipton’s 3-in-1 milk tea powder came after the company’s internal quality check found melamine, used to make plastics and fertilizers, in the products, Unilever Hong Kong Ltd. said in a statement.

The contaminated products used Chinese-made milk powder as raw material, said marketing director Sharon Hwang for Unilever Hong Kong. She declined to reveal which brand the company had used.

Dozens of Chinese-made food products have been found to contain melamine, killing four babies and sickening more than 50,000 in mainland China. According to the state-run China News Service, 27 people have been arrested so far in connection with the scandal.