On Wednesday China's Ministry of Agriculture said in Beijing that 94.7 percent of vegetables tested in 37 Chinese cities met international standards in respect of pesticide residue.

 

The ministry's latest quality research also showed that 99.2 percent of aquatic products tested in eight cities showed they were free of chloramphenicol, a type of antibiotic, which is banned in some countries.

 

Zhang Yuxiang, director of the ministry's Market and Economic Information Department, said the proportion of vegetables which met international standards in Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai and Shenzhen had increased by 29 percent since 2001. The proportion of livestock products which met the residue standards in the four cities was up 33 percent. ?

 

"Generally speaking China's agricultural products are good and safe to eat," said Zhang.

 

China started regular testing of such products in 2001. The ministry makes five monitoring and supervision tests annually on vegetables in 37 cities, livestock products in 22 cities and aquatic foods in eight cities.

 

China is facing international challenges over agricultural products which it is claimed contain too much chemical residue. Japan imposed stringent new requirements on acceptable levels of such residues on China's agricultural exports in May. ?

 

(Xinhua News Agency July 6, 2006)