OSAKA, Japan – Marudai Food Co. and Japanese authorities announced Friday that the toxic substance melamine was detected in four of six products recalled by the company.

According to the major food company, the Osaka prefectural government and the municipal government of Takatsuki, Japan, where the firm is based, the four products contained 0.8 to 37 parts per million of melamine.

This is the first time the chemical has been detected in food products distributed in the nation since melamine contamination fueled a public health scare in China and other countries.

The Osaka prefectural government said the amount of melamine detected would not cause immediate harm to health. However, Marudai said it had discontinued manufacturing all six products subject to the recall.

The four products

The four products found containing melamine are Gratin Crepe Corn, Cream Panda, Matcha Azuki Mirukuman and commercial-use Cream Panda. Melamine was not detected in Kakuni Pao and Mocchiri Nikuman.

According to the company and authorities, 10 to 12 ppm of melamine also was detected in milk manufactured by the major Chinese dairy company Yili Industrial Group Co. that was used as an ingredient in Marudai products made at a factory in China on June 12 and Aug. 1.

According to the company, it received about 110 inquiries about potential health damage as of noon Saturday. It has received 3,100 inquiries since it started a voluntary recall on Sept. 20.

The company accepts inquiries at its customers’ service section at (0120) 338-845 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.