June 26, 2012

China, India to settle rapeseed meal contamination issue

By the end of July, Chinese authorities will visit India to resolve an issue regarding contaminated rapeseed meal, stated the Solvent Extractors Association of India on Friday (June 22).

China, once the fourth-largest oilmeal importer from India, banned oilmeal imports from the South Asian nation in January after discovering traces of a hazardous chemical called malachite green in some rapeseed meal shipments.

Subsequently, the Indian trade body identified green dye used in the packing material as the source of the contamination and urged the exporters to stop using it.

The Solvent Extractors Association also invited officials from China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine to visit Indian oilmeal crushing plants.

A visit by Chinese officials may lead to the resumption of the trade if they are satisfied with the packing process. Japan, Vietnam and South Korea are the other major oilmeal importers from India.

India's oilmeal exports to China fell about 34% to 354,405 tonnes in the last fiscal year that ended March 31, while total exports increased about 8% to 5.5 million tonnes.

Indian exporters are now looking at other destinations such as the Middle East to increase shipments following the Chinese ban.