Two varieties of Campbell's canned soup were being taken off shop shelves yesterday in a product recall announced after complaints about bad smells when tins were opened. The recall covers 350,000 cans of Campbell's Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (405 grams) and Campbell's Condensed Creamy Chicken Mushroom Soup (410 grams) produced in Malaysia between November and August. The products, made exclusively for the Hong Kong and Macau markets, have reportedly been on sale since April. The Centre for Food Safety warned people not to consume the two varieties and asked shops to stop sales. But they were still available in some food shops and supermarkets last night. A spokeswoman for Campbell Soup Asia said the product recall followed three complaints from people last week about bad smells when opening tins. She said: 'We have no evidence that these products present a health or safety risk. And there has been no report of a consumer falling ill after eating the soup. 'But we are recalling these products as part of our commitment to quality.' She added that the company was still looking into the matter. Campbell Soup Asia said consumers who had purchased the products should return them to retail outlets for a full refund. A hotline - 3128 8022 - has been set up to answer inquiries about refunds. Richard Cheung Yun-hing, an associate professor at City University's department of biology and chemistry, said he suspected something might have gone wrong during the production process. 'One of the possibilities is that the disinfection process was not fully complete, leaving behind some bacteria in the cans,' Dr Cheung told ATV news. Major supermarket chains, including ParknShop, Wellcome and Vanguard, said they had been alerted on Wednesday and had been taking the products off shelves. They said customers could get a refund if they could produce receipts for the soup. But the products were still found on shelves at some outlets. A South China Morning Post reporter bought the products at a branch of Wellcome in Quarry Bay. There was no bad smell after the tins were opened. One shopper, Zoe Leong, said she would avoid Campbell's products for a while. 'I do not know whether the whole Campbell line is safe to consume,' she said. A spokesman for the Centre for Food Safety said: 'We appeal to traders to stop selling these two products. We have alerted the trade and are closely monitoring the situation.' The centre said tests would be conducted on the products.
