May 14, 2007

Greenpeace wants China to ban dangerous feed additives

Greenpeace has called on China to ban dangerous additives and pesticides after Beijing promised to clean up its food industry and a more thorough enforcement of food safety laws.

The announcement was made as US FDA officials visited China to investigate how Chinese melamine made its way into pet food in North America, food ingredients exported from the country killed scores of pets in America and raised concerns of contaminated animal feed.

Although Chinese officials said the cleanup campaign would include improved monitoring of fertiliser and pesticide use, Greenpeace in southern China's Guangdong province wanted bans on dangerous feed additives and pesticides as well.

Beijing should be more proactive in controlling chemicals or illegal pesticides at the source, to make sure that they are not available for farmers to use or for the producers to use in their production, Greenpeace said.

Greenpeace said pesticides such as DDT - which was banned in China for agricultural use long ago - was still available in the market, purportedly for non-agricultural use.