China's General Administration of Customs (GAC) said on Friday that it has decided to suspend the exports of poultry meat from some U.S. firms to China as well as suspend the qualifications of some U.S. firms to export certain products to China.

Effective April 4, China will suspend the qualification of C&D (USA) Inc. to export sorghum to China. It will also suspend the qualifications of three other U.S. firms, namely American Proteins, Inc., Mountaire Farms of Delaware, Inc. and Darling Ingredients Inc., to export poultry meat and bone meal to China, the GAC said.

The decision came after Chinese customs detected excessive levels of zearalenone and mold in imported U.S. sorghum, and salmonella in imported U.S. poultry meat and bone meal, the GAC said in a statement, adding that the suspension aims to protect the health of Chinese consumers and the safety of animal husbandry sector in China.

In a separate announcement, the GAC also announced the immediate suspension of poultry meat imports from the two U.S. companies of Mountaire Farms of Delaware, Inc. and Coastal Processing, LLC.

The GAC said that this suspension follows the Chinese customs' detection on several occasions of the prohibited drug furacillin in imported U.S. chicken products and that the suspension decision is to protect the health and safety of consumers.

An official with the GAC said that the suspension of poultry meat import from the two U.S. companies would help prevent food safety risks from the source, and the decision was made in accordance with relevant Chinese laws and regulations and international standards.

"The above measures taken by the General Administration of Customs are necessary precautions to ensure food safety, and they are reasonable and in line with international norms," the official said.