(Yicai Global) July 8 -- Häagen-Dazs said it has not sold in the Chinese mainland the ice creams that Taiwan found to contain traces of a pesticide.

All Häagen-Dazs products imported into the mainland have undergone inspections in line with national standards when entering customs clearance, the distributor, General Mills China, said in a letter of response, according to China News Service reported.

Two batches of Häagen-Dazs vanilla ice cream imported from France contained a trace amount of ethylene oxide, Taiwan’s Food and Drug Administration said in June. Ethylene oxide is a class-one carcinogen.

In the past, ethylene oxide was used to make fungicides, and it is now widely used in the washing,  printing, dyeing, and pharmaceutical sectors. It is also a starting agent for cleaning agents in chemical-related industries.

Founded in 1961, Häagen-Dazs is General Mills’ flagship ice cream brand in the United States. It entered the Chinese mainland market in 1996.

Editor: Futura Costaglione