"Hong Kong has ordered stores to pull 16 popular Japanese and 1 Chinese snacks off their shelves because they may contain an unapproved sweetener which some studies have linked to cancer and other health problems.

The products are Glico chocolate pretzels, Kiss mints, Pringles potato crisps (mild salt flavour), Kiku Prawn Crackers, Kiku cuttlefish crackers, Koebisen cuttlefish crackers, Ika Mirin shrimp crackers, kariri Prawn flavoured pretzels, Nissin cup udon (beef, curry and tempura flavours), Nissin UFO Oomori Yaki Soba Instant Noodles, Nissin Tatsujin Tonkatsu Ramen Instant Noodles, Natchoro sweetner and Qiaqia melon seeds from mainland China.

Popular chocolate and strawberry flavoured Glico Pocky biscuit sticks, Garlic Chip Rice Cracker and Koikeya Don Tacos Spicy Beef had also been removed from sale in Singapore after labs there found they contained stevioside, a sugar substitute not approved for consumption in Hong Kong or Singapore.

Stevioside is a plant extract far sweeter than sugar but with no calories, and has not gained international endorsement as a safe artificial sweetener."