Thailand`s health authority has removed a Malaysian-made brand of cream crackers from the shelves after detecting excessive levels of the toxic chemical melamine, officials said Wednesday.

The Thai Food and Drug Administration said it found 6.08 milligrams per kilogram of melamine in Omodo crackers, far above the 2.5 milligrams allowed.

The provincial FDA authority in Narathiwat immediately banned the sale of the crackers until they could be certified safe for consumption.

Melamine has been at the root of a major contamination scandal in recent weeks, with four babies dying and 53,000 children falling ill from consuming tainted Chinese-made dairy products.

Governments around the world have banned or recalled Chinese dairy products found to contain melamine, with the contamination recently spreading to Chinese eggs.