BERLIN -- Germany announced Friday a ban on a jelling agent, Konjac, which has been used in billions of sweets for children,DPA reported.

Konjac, also known as Konnyaku, yam flour or Glucomannan, is the key material in a childhood sensation known as mini fruit jellies or mini fruit cups that had to be pulled from shelves all over the European Union and the United States in January.

Served in tiny plastic cups that imitate grown-ups' ready-to-eat meals, the Taiwanese-made sweet is sucked into the mouth to be chewed slowly. However small children were at risk of choking if they swallowed the gel too early.

German Health Minister Renate Kuenast said she had decided to extend the ban from the product to all use of Konjac as an ingredient. Sources said E.U. officials had agreed to a request from Berlin for Konjac to be banned soon throughout Western Europe.

The German ban is to take legal effect on April 17.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said earlier this year there had been reports of four U.S. children's deaths from choking associated with this type of jelly candy. Food safety experts spoke of up to eight deaths in Japan.

It is estimated that one Taiwanese company sold more than 3 billion pieces of the gel snacks.