Fruit from Philippines to undergo stricter inspection

Fruit from the Philippines will receive stricter inspections for harmful organisms at Chinese borders, a potential setback for exporters from the country.

Ito Yokado, a Japanese supermarket chain in Beijing, has suspended sales of fruit imported from the Philippines at one of its stores for a few days, said Yang Kai, a staff member in the branch's public relations department.

"Also, we've stopped purchasing Philippine fruit from importers now. So far there is no schedule to restart it," he told China Daily on Thursday.

Pan Anyi, an administrator at Longwu fruit and vegetable market in the Minhang district of Shanghai, which is the city's largest wholesale and trading market of imported fruit, said all fruit sold there must have official border quarantine reports.

"As far as I know, bananas (from the Philippines) have been piled up at Chinese border docks," he said on Thursday.

China's top quality watchdog on Tuesday ordered stricter inspections on fruit imports from the Philippines after harmful organisms were found in several shipments, according to a notice posted on the website of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine.

Insects and bacteria have been found in pineapples, bananas and other fruits imported from the Philippines to ports in Shanghai, Shenzhen and Shandong since last year, the notice said.