BEIJING (AP) — A shipment of 47 tons of frozen sardines originally from the United States was rejected at a Chinese coastal city because regulators said it was infected with disease-inducing bacteria, state media reported Tuesday.
It is the latest report of China rejecting goods in what appears to be reverse damage control following a series of high-profile toy and food recalls in the West.
China's official Xinhua News Agency said the sardines, imported from a Japanese trading company, were stopped Saturday by the inspection and quarantine bureau of Rongcheng city in Shandong province.
The report said sample inspections showed the sardines were infected with listeria monocytogens, a bacteria that can lead to vomiting, fever and blood poisoning.
Mattel ordered three high-profile recalls this summer involving more than 21 million Chinese-made toys, including Barbie doll accessories and toy cars because of concerns about lead paint or tiny magnets that could be swallowed.
The slew of Chinese-made toys since June by Mattel and other smaller toy makers has resulted in many parents scouring for U.S.-made label stamped on playthings at toy stores.
While Beijing has launched an aggressive public relations campaign to show it is taking the issue seriously, it has also been eager to cast itself as a victim of unsafe imports, regularly announcing that it has banned or rejected goods from other countries.
