Farmers meeting quality standards, Chinese officials say

In a bid to quell consumer concern over food safety, China's Ministry of Agriculturesaid Tuesday that an inspection of meat, poultry, fish and vegetables showed the country's farmers are meeting production standards.

Products tested in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenyang, Tianjin and Kunming for chemical residues met safety standards, authorities said. The ministry noted, however, that some tests showed the presence of cancer-causing agents in fish samples.

Authorities also announced they plan on rolling out farming standardization practices to ensure the quality offood productssold in China.

But food safety problems surfaced in eastern China after it was discovered a company was making traditional dumplings with filling taken from two-year-old rice dumplings. Officialssaid Tuesday that the recalled dumplings were not sold outside Anhui province and no associated illnesses had been reported.

Toothpaste, toys withdrawn for safety hazards

Food and product safety standards in China have come under close scrutiny in recent months with concerns being raised about products being sold in the country and exported to foreign markets.

In late May, China's top drug regulator, Zheng Xiaoyu, was sentenced to death on charges of corruption and official negligence. State media said Zheng's agency approved an antibiotic that killed 10 people before it was pulled from the marketplace.

The Beijing News reported in May that about 20 per cent of toys and baby clothes manufactured in China failed safety tests and could hurt children. Inspectors found that some manufacturers stuffed plush toys with low-quality fibre and garbage.

Meanwhile, U.S. officials have criticized China for failing to ensure the safety of its exports. Tests on wheat flour used in North American pet food showed the presence of melamine a chemical used to make plastics and fertilizers.

Last week, RC2 Corp. issued a North American recall of about 1.5 million Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway toys manufactured in China because they contained high levels of lead. The U.S. Consumer Safety Commission this year has recalled 24 toys that pose safety hazards to children, all of which were made in China.

In May, officials in the Dominican Republic pulled tubes of Excel and Mr. Cool toothpaste made in China after learning the products contained diethylene glycol. Panama also recalled the toothpaste from the marketplace.

Chinese authorities defended the use of diethylene glycol, saying the chemical was not harmful, but U.S. officials told consumers to throw out any Chinese-made toothpaste.