Spot checks reveal harmful rare earth in tea samples

BEIJING - The consumer product giant Unilever said on Thursday that it had recalled and destroyed a batch of Lipton tea bags - one of its branded products - in response to the charge that they contained impurities. It said the product was taken off shelves in August, after an official spot check found it contained excessive residues from heavy metals.

"We recalled and destroyed all the products of that batch in August," Unilever said in a statement sent to China Daily. The company received a disqualification notice from the country's top quality watchdog on Aug 5.

"We also screened other products and raw materials, and haven't found other batches with the same problem," reads the statement.