[Imports Management ] General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection

       According to the statistics of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People’s Republic of China, there had been safety issues related to the food imported from Europe to China which were exposed in routine entry inspections in Shanghai and Sichuan, including excessive methanol in Italian brandy, excessive sorbic acid in catchup from the UK, the transgenic components in albumen powder in Dutch soybeans, excessive benzoic acid in Spanish diary products, excessive lemon yellow, light blue, and quinoline yellow in chocolate products and excessive sorbic acid in catchup from Belgium. 

      According to the law, all entry-exit inspection and quarantine institutions of all levels have adopted some bans on import in the entry port such as return of goods and destruction to the problem productions in all batches mentioned in the above .

      According with the food safety cooperation mechanism established by both China and Europe, relevant  department of China had notified the detailed information to the European side, and willing to start further exchanges and cooperation with European side for the problem of food safety. Meanwhile, in order to protect the healthy of customers,the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People’s Republic of China has adopted preventive protective measures on Dec 6 and released alarm announcements to entry-exit inspection and quarantine institutions of all levels. Risk pre-alarm measures shall be exercised on the above products from EU countries and a 90-day strict inspection shall be exercised on related safety items. An evaluation shall be done later to decide whether to adopt further measures.