OATLY China makes preemptive recall in commitment to consumer health

OATLY, a Swedish food company that makes alternatives to dairy products from oats, announced last Friday to preemptively recall one product sold in China although voluntary tests showed no problems.

The Oat Drink Deluxe 330ml being recalled in China was produced in the United States by one of its third-party manufacturers Lyons Magnus LLC. OATLY has since severed its relationship with the supplier.

The decision was made after Lyons Magnus voluntarily recalled a few brands made out of its factories in the United States that affected 4 SKUs (stock keeping units) of OATLY products, which did not include Oat Drink Deluxe 330ml.

"This recall is voluntary and preemptive, even though our products are in compliance with relevant Chinese regulations, and we have also received no reports of illness or health complaints related to this product," OATLY said in a statement.

The company has sent samples of Oat Drink Deluxe 330ml to State-accredited laboratories in China for testing and the results to date have not identified any quality issues.

Oat Drink Deluxe 330ml is the only OATLY product manufactured by Lyons Magnus in the China market. It accounts for around 0.5 percent of the total sales volume in China.

"As a company people rely on to eat better and live healthier lives, food safety and the health of our consumers are our two top priorities," OATLY added in the statement.