The General Secretariat of Municipalities on Monday ordered certain Kellogg's products to be removed from the country's markets.

The products were found to be contaminated with pork elements, said Jassim Mohammed bin Darweesh, Secretary General of the General Secretariat.

The products involved are 'Brown Sugar' and 'Cinnamon' Pop Tarts. Dubai Municipality said it withdrew these products after lab tests showed that they were contaminated. Other products of the company were also tested, but passed.

Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Fujairah municipalities have also carried out tests on these products.
Supermarket owners spoken to yesterday afternoon said they had not received any order to remove the items from their shelves, but added that this could sometimes take 24 hours.

In Abu Dhabi, laboratory officials said yesterday that UAE authorities have banned the sale of the U.S.-made Kellogg's tarts after laboratory tests found they are contaminated with pork.

Large quantities have already been withdrawn from the market, and health inspectors have launched a drive to take any remaining tarts off the shelves.

"We are working to withdraw all such products from the market after random tests showed they are laced with pork," said Dr Mustafa Gazali, deputy director of the inspection section at the Food Control and Environment Centre at Abu Dhabi Municipality.

"We are coordinating with other laboratories and inspection offices in the UAE to make sure no such tarts are sold. They are imported directly from the United States and we decided to test them after receiving complaints about their contents."