June 21, 2011

A nationwide inspection showed that most of China's state grain reserves are safe for consumption, a senior official of the State Administration of Grain (SAG) said.

The inspection result suggested the state's grain reserves are "well-preserved" and grain inventory is trustworthy, SAG deputy head Zeng Liying said Monday (Jun 20).

During the inspection, which was conducted over the first half of last year, 5,370 samples were taken from 1,157 grain depots nationwide.

Inspectors checked the samples for contaminants such as pesticide residue, heavy metals and mycotoxins.

According to the inspection results, 97.3% of the samples were found to be of "safe" quality.

The announcement came as the country increased efforts to reap summer grains in 2011 while some of its grain production provinces are plagued by a lingering drought and deadly floods.

The country's grain output rose 2.9% on-year in 2010 to reach 546.41 million tonnes, marking the seventh consecutive year of growth.

Another inspection, this time of wheat reserves that were purchased in 2010 summer in provinces of Jiangsu, Anhui, Hubei and Henan, found that 1,656 of the inspection's 5,378 samples contained an excessive amount of mycotoxins, according to the SAG statement.

A total of 1.75 million tonnes of contaminated wheat was sealed up to prevent the spread of mycotoxins, the statement said. The administration did not mention whether contaminated grain reserves were found elsewhere.