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New Zealand Food Safety is supporting a recall of specific batches of Nestlé Milo Dipped Snack Bars after concerns the product may contain pieces of rubber.
The affected batches have been sold in major and independent grocery retailers since December.
According to Nestlé, “a contract manufacturer experienced an equipment failure in their facility, resulting in small pieces of black rubber being dislodged during production of the products.”
Acting deputy director-general of New Zealand Food Safety, Jenny Bishop, says the foreign matter could pose a choking risk.
“If you have any Nestlé Milo Dipped Snack Bars with batch numbers 5316, 5317 and 5318 TD15 and a best-before date of August 2026, don’t eat them.
“You can return them to the place of purchase for a refund. If that’s not possible, throw them out.”
“The affected products were sold at supermarkets and retailers nationwide and have now been removed from store shelves. They were imported from Australia and have not been re-exported.
“The affected products were made in Australia and are also subject to recall there.”
Food Standards Australia/New Zealand (FSANZ) say the snack bars contain ‘black rubber’ and could cause illness or injury if consumed.
Nestlé say investigations indicate only a small number of products are affected, however out of an abundance of caution, it is recalling specific batches to ensure consumer safety.
Nestlé Oceania, General Manager Snacks, Andrew Lawrey says, “the safety of our consumers is our absolute top priority.
“This recall is a precautionary measure, in line with our strict product quality and safety protocols. As soon as we became aware of the issue, we made contact with authorities to conduct a recall and notified all relevant retailers.
“If you have purchased any of these products, please return it to the place of purchase for a full refund,” Lawrey says.
Food products containing foreign matter should not be consumed. Anyone who is concerned about their health should seek medical advice.
Consumers seeking more information can contact Nestlé on 0800 864 685.
The recall applies to Nestlé Milo Dipped Snack Bars (160g) with:
- Best before: August 2026
- Batch numbers: 5316 TD15, 5317 TD15, 5318 TD15, Nestlé is also recalling 5321 TD15, 5322 TD15, 5323 TD15 and 5324 TD15
- The best before date and Batch number can be found on the side panel of the box, and on the side of the individual bar wrapper.
No other Nestlé products are affected.
Bishop says it has not received any reports of injury linked to the product.
“As is our usual practice, New Zealand Food Safety will work with Nestlé to understand how this happened and prevent its recurrence,” Bishop says.
Customers who have consumed the product and have health concerns are advised to seek medical advice.
Supermarkets quick to act
A spokesperson for supermarket giant, Woolworths New Zealand, says it “has well-developed recall procedures for removing products from sale.
“Notification is received from the supplier about the problem, the product(s) and the relevant batch details. Woolworths stores are notified to remove the affected product(s) from sale and to follow instructions regarding disposal, hold, or supplier collection of the product(s).
“Our Distribution Centres (DCs) are instructed to check their stock and if necessary – cease ongoing supply to stores. In the event of a safety recall such as the current Nestlé snack bars recall, our checkouts are automatically locked down to prevent inadvertent scanning and sale of the product.
“Our stores and DCs report quantities back into our recall system but these numbers are commercially confidential.
“On disposal, we follow direction from the supplier or the relevant regulator,” the spokesperson said.
