Thousands of illegal and potentially deadly jelly cups that pose a choking hazard to young children have been seized during raids in Sydney’s west.
Fair Trading investigators seized more than 11,300 mini jelly cups during raids on warehouses in Banksmeadow, Wetherill Park and Wentworth Point.
The sale or import of these gelatin cups has been illegal for more than 20 years because they use a binding agent called konjac that poses a potential choking hazard.
Konjac, which is illegal in Australia when used in products less than 4.5cm long or wide, was banned following the death of a three-year-old boy in Sydney.
“The binding agent that binds gelatin together doesn’t dissolve when placed in someone’s mouth, so it acts like a plug and blocks the airway,” said David Byrne of Customer Service NSW. 9News.
“This translates into a significant risk of death for many people who were at Leichhardt Oval last night watching football.”
The raids came after a customer spotted a mini jelly cup containing konjac on the shelf of a store in Banksmeadow and alerted authorities.
New South Wales police said a large shipment had been imported from overseas and distributed to shops in Sydney’s western suburbs.
Fair Trading investigators seized more than 11,300 mini jelly cups during raids on warehouses in Banksmeadow, Wetherill Park and Wentworth Point (pictured)
The sale and import of gelatin capsules has been illegal for more than 20 years because they use a binding agent called konjac (pictured, investigators during raids in western Sydney).
The products were destroyed and the stores could face fines of $50 million if they are caught selling the product.
Those responsible for importing the gelatin cups will also be investigated.
Fair Trade researcher Pablo Rojas said that if people find the product the safest thing to do is to “get rid of it immediately.”
