After a debilitating horsemeat scandal, Ikea is again on the hot seat, this time after Chinese authorities discovered excessive levels of faecal or coliform bacteria in its chocolate almond cake products that were imported by the furniture and accessories store to China from Sweden. An equivalent two tonnes (1,872 kilos or 4,100 pounds) of the chocolate almond cake were immediately destroyed.

The Chinese discovery of the unhygienic cakes happened in November and December of 2012, but Ikea's head office only learned of what happened Monday this week.

"Chinese customs officials have found coliform bacteria that exceeds limits," Ylva Magnusson, IKEA spokeswoman, said. She added that the supplier has tested the same batch of almond cakes and found no presence of E. coli or human intestinal bacteria.

"The product was stopped and destroyed. So none of the cakes made it to our restaurants," she added, presumably referring to Ikea shops located in China.

Following the discovery, and while still stinking from the horsemeat scandal, Ikea had called for the withdrawal of all its chocolate almond cakes, labeled Tarta Chokladkrokant, from all its global stores in about 23 countries.

"We have decided to stop the sales of these cakes in all markets," Ms Magnusson said.

Tarta Chokladkrokant is layered with chocolate, butter cream and butterscotch.

Coliform bacteria is a type of bacteria found in soil, vegetation, water and everyday human environments, as well as in the feces of humans and warm-blooded animals.

"The production batches have, as per safety and quality routines, been tested for bacteria that can cause health issues, such as E.coli, and none of these pathogen bacteria have been found," the company said.

"However, since the product does not comply with our strict food quality standards we have decided to withdraw the concerned production batches from sale in the 23 affected countries."

The affected countries include Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan and the United Arab Emirates.