ANOTHER 20 products have been found to be contaminated with melamine, including well-known products such as Lotte Koala biscuits and Julie crackers. Three of them are from China while 17 others are from Malaysia.

This marks the first time that non-China products available here have been found contaminated with melamine.

The latest detection brings the total number of melamine-tainted products here to 33, said the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore in an update on Friday.

The tainted China-made products are Lotte Koala's March Cocoa Chocolate Biscuit, Hello Kitty Strawberry Cream Filled Biscuit and unbranded non-dairy creamer in industrial pack.

The two China-made biscuits contained milk ingredients and had been recalled since Sept 19.

AVA said melamine has been detected in 17 biscuit products from Malaysia.

Importers and retailers are required to withdraw the affected Malaysian-made biscuits from sale with immediate effect.

As 12 of the 17 products are Julie's brand of biscuits, AVA said they should be withdrawn as "a precautionary measure."

AVA advises consumers who have bought the implicated products not to consume them.

All the 17 tainted products will be destroyed under AVA's supervision.

AVA also tested various types of biscuits under the Khong Guan and Meiji brands, as well as other traditional biscuits that are manufactured in Singapore. No melamine was found in these products.

Some 3,200 types of milk and milk products, chocolates, biscuits, non-dairy creamers and other products imported from more than 40 countries have been tested for melamine up till Friday.