Ten types of hot, cold packs sold under the brands Surgipack, Soft R&R and Osim were found to contain ethelene glycol, HSA said in a statement on Monday.

The packs should have contained a non-toxic substance, propylene glycol, instead. About 2,000 peices of the affected products have been sold to consumers.

There has been no reported cases of adverses reavtions of illness arising from the use of the packs in Singapore, the statement said.

The HSA was first alerted to a recall of a hot,cold pack in Australia after a case of accidental poisoning in a young child who chewed through the plastic packaging of a pack and consumed its contents which contained the toxic chemical.

The accident prompted HSA to conduct laboratory tests on packs available in Singapore.

The companies have recalled the products from wholesale outlets, retail shops and pharmacies since last Thursday.

Import, exports and sales of the affected packs have been stopped with immediate effect.

'This recall has been undertaken to protect consumers from the possible risks when using the affected packs,' the HSA statement said.

Consumers who have purchased these affected products should stop using them immediately, the statement said.

Ethylene glycol is harmful, and can be fatal, if ingested and can cause serious effects if inhaled or absorbed through skin. It can also cause skin reactions.

Parents are advised that all gel packs should be used under adult supervision.