Beijing – China has suspended imports of chicken feet, pig ears and other animal products from seven U.S. companies, including the world’s largest meat processor, in an apparent attempt to turn the tables on American complaints about tainted products from China.
The American meat had contaminants including salmonella, feed additives and veterinary drugs, according to a list posted on the website of China’s General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine late Friday.
The U.S. and other countries have cracked down on Chinese products since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration found in April that North American dogs and cats were poisoned by tainted Chinese pet-food ingredients. Since then, a growing number of Chinese products have been found to be tainted with potentially toxic chemicals and other adulterants.
In recent weeks, Chinese authorities have been announcing their own rejections of imports, including U.S. orange pulp, dried apricots, raisins and health supplements – apparently to show that they are not the only ones with food safety problems.
Among the import suspensions announced, the Chinese agency said:
Frozen poultry from Springdale, Ark.- based Tyson Foods Inc., the world’s largest meat processor, was contaminated with salmonella.
Frozen pork ribs from Wichita-based Cargill Meat Solutions Corp. contained the feed additive ractopamine.
Sausage casing from “Thumph Foods” contained ractopamine. It was not clear whether that was a reference to Triumph Foods of St. Joseph, Mo.
Cargill, Van Luin and “Thumph Foods” were given 45 days to correct the contamination problems, while the others were suspended from imports, though China did not say for how long.
