Companies began recalling bottles of sunflower oil yesterday after it was discovered that a batch imported into Greece had been contaminated with potentially harmful mineral oil.

Some 1,200 tons of sunflower oil were imported from Ukraine, possibly via Switzerland, by a Greek company called Manos, which then refined the oil and sold it to a number of other local firms, including Minerva, which announced yesterday that it was recalling 1, 2, 5 and 10 liter bottles of its sunflower oil. Minerva assured consumers that its other products are safe.

A second batch of oil that was imported by Manos is being examined as is a batch brought in by another company, Agrotiki. Mineral oil, a by-product of the distillation of petroleum, can be harmful, particularly for children, if swallowed.