White Rabbit Creamy Candy is back on Singapore shelves. It is now joined by Golden Rabbit Creamy Candy, differentiated by its shiny, blue-and-gold wrapper.

Both varieties have been available in provision shops since June 1. They will be stocked in major supermarkets soon.

The original Shanghai-made milk candy was yanked off shelves last September after traces of melamine were detected.

It was one of several products from China found to contain nitrogen-rich melamine, which is usually used for making plastics and glue. The industrial chemical is not poisonous but can cause problems such as kidney stones, leading to kidney failure if allowed to accumulate in the body over time.

A ban on the import and sale of all milk and milk products from China was also imposed by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) on Sept 19. The ban was lifted in phases from Nov 12.

Although the candy has been available in China since last October, candy producer Guansheng-yuan company started exporting it to foreign markets - such as Singapore, Australia, India and Canada - only in April.

The candy is known for its layer of edible rice paper and is a common Chinese New Year treat.

It is not just its external packaging that has undergone a make-over. Golden Rabbit's milk content comes from Australia, while the original White Rabbit is now made from milk from New Zealand and not China, said Mr Teng Cheng Kar, 45, director of Hock Lam, the local importer.

Both products, he said, have been tested and approved by both the Chinese and Singapore authorities.

Read the full story in today's edition of The Sunday Times.