US chocolate giant Mars on Tuesday ordered a massive international recall, including Sri Lanka, of Mars and Snickers bars made at its Dutch factory after a piece of plastic found in one snack was traced back to the site. Millions of chocolate bars were deemed possibly unsafe for consumption in 55 countries after a customer in Germany found a piece of red plastic in his Snickers bar last month, AFP said.

The recall of the chocoholic snacks also affects Milky Way minis and some boxes of Celebrations, and hit most European countries. But it also extended as far as Vietnam and Sri Lanka in Asia. "As far as we know there are 55 countries involved," Eline Bijveld, Mars corporate affairs coordinator for the Netherlands told AFP, refusing to divulge the whole list.

The recall "only involves the products that are made in the Netherlands" at the Mars factory in the southern town of Veghel, she said, adding the products were mainly sold in the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe.

It is the first time it has had to recall products made at its Veghel factory, which opened in 1963 and employs some 1,200 people.

Noting that the recall was an "isolated incident and strictly limited," Bijveld described the risk to consumers as "not that high."

Nevertheless the company decided to recall all products that may be involved because "we cannot be 100 percent sure."

The US-based company, which also makes M&Ms chocolates and Wrigley's chewing gum, said a full list of affected products could be found on its national websites.

(With inputs from AFP, DW)