Case of the counterfeit sweetcorn cans

Tinned sweetcorn lovers were urged to be cautious yesterday after bogus cans of a popular brand were found on sale.

Customs officers warned there was no guarantee the counterfeit products were safe to eat.

They were still being examined for signs of poor hygiene or poison.

About 8,300 cans of fake Del Monte creamed corn were seized from a To Kwa Wan warehouse and a nearby wholesale outlet after complaints were received from the company's regional distributors.

Three men and a woman, aged 36 to 53, were arrested during the seizure of goods worth about $40,000.

Deputy head of the Intellectual Property Investigation Bureau Johnny Chow Wing-keung said he believed the distribution of the cans had been limited to one outlet.