China stops importing pork products from Ireland

BEIJING, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- China's quality supervisor is suspending the import of Irish pork products and animal feed over concerns the food may be contaminated with a potentially harmful chemical.

The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) also urged local entry-exit inspection and quarantine inspectors to recall and return pork products already in China if they were made in Ireland after Sept. 1.

Statistics showed China has imported 2,047 tons of pork products since September.

The ban went in to effect on Monday. AQSIQ hasn't said when it will be lifted.

On Dec. 6, Ireland announced its pork products were suspected to be tainted with dioxin, a chemical derived from petroleum and believed to be adverse to human health.

Irish authorities started to recall possibly contaminated pork products made after Sept. 1 and suspended pork export to China.

China intensifies quality inspection on some Europe-imported food



  BEIJING, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- China's quality supervisor said it is to intensify checks on some Europe-imported food after the exposure of quality problems.

  These products included brandy from Italy, seasoning sauce from Great Britain, dairy products from Spain, chocolate component-containing food from Belgium, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) said on its website on Monday.

All the problematic products have been destroyed or returned without entering domestic market, it said.  Full story