China seizes "rancid" US nuts amid health scares

BEIJING, June 13 (Reuters) China has launched a crackdown on U.S. food imports, seizing ''rancid'' pistachio nuts and vowing tough inspections in the wake of Washington's own offensive rejecting suspect Chinese food and drug ingredients.

China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine told inspectors to step up checks of pistachio nuts from the United States after a 20-tonne shipment was found to have rotting nuts infested with ants, Xinhua news agency reported late yesterday.

The pistachio shipment would be destroyed, it said.

China's toughened stance comes as its own exports face international criticism, especially in the United States, after a series of health scandals involving Chinese food, drugs and other products from poisoned cough syrup to tainted toothpaste and pet food.

Last week, Chinese inspectors destroyed or returned nutritional supplement capsules and raisins from the United States after detecting unacceptable levels of bacteria.

''Items that do not meet safety and health standards must be handled strictly according to the rules, and in serious cases the goods must all be either returned or destroyed,'' the administration ordered, according to Xinhua.

Special attention would be paid to shipments of US healthcare products, poultry and pork, seafood and processed food oils, Xinhua said.

French food group Danone said last month that five container loads of Evian had failed inspection by Chinese authorities who had found the mineral water contained an excessive amount of bacteria.

Reuters AKD VP0740