A staff member works at the health and quarantine comprehensive laboratory of Sichuan International Travel Health Care Center (Chengdu Customs Port Outpatient Department), in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan.File photo: Xinhua

Three samples of ice cream made from New Zealand-sourced milk powder and Ukrainian dried whey tested positive for COVID-19 in North China's Tianjin, authorities announced Thursday. The company has been cordoned off and tracking of the sold products is ongoing.

The positive samples were discovered after they were sent for testing on Tuesday and Wednesday, and the ingredients include milk powder from New Zealand and dried whey from Ukraine. 

The company has been cordoned off and nucleic acid testing and epidemiological investigations on its 1,662 employees are ongoing. So far, samples from 700 people have come back negative and the results for the rest of the employees remain to be seen. 

All employees tested negative on January 7 and 10 in the routine testing for personnel in food and cold-chain industries. 

Salespeople at shops selling the product are also being tested. Authorities are also taking samples from ingredients, stored products and the surrounding environment for further testing. 

Global Times