Soda can sparked Melbourne plane bomb scare

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The emergency landing of a Mauritius-bound flight was sparked by a misreading of foreign lettering on a can of drink.

The captain of the Air Mauritius flight, which took off at 1.24pm (AEST) on Wednesday, made the decision to return to Melbourne after the word "bomb" was apparently written on the can.

"It has been determined that no offence has been detected due to an initial misinterpretation of foreign lettering on the print of the can," Victoria Police spokeswoman Kendra Jackson told AAP.

Police would not specify which brand of drink was involved or what language it was in.

In an earlier statement, police said an Arson and Explosives Squad investigation found the can was not an explosive device.

No one has been arrested over the incident and no threats were received by the airline.

The 180 passengers were interviewed by police and given overnight accommodation in Melbourne hotels.

Baggage on board the flight was also removed and screened.

Air Mauritius' Australia manager, Steven Palombo, said the direct Melbourne-Mauritius flight had been rescheduled for 11.30am (AEST) Thursday.

He backed the pilot's decision to return to Melbourne when the can was discovered.

"I think safety is number one and I think the captain absolutely did the right thing," he told AAP.

Police said the captain of the aircraft acted appropriately.

- AAP