China bans Spanish olive oil imports

On July 27, China announced that it is suspending imports of olive residue oil from Spain following the discovery of benzopyrene in the oil, reports ChinaDaily.com. According to an announcement jointly released by the Chinese ministries of health, and foreign trade and economic cooperation, and the State Administration of Quality Supervision and Quarantine, some olive residue oil imported from Spain was confirmed to contain an element which can cause cancer, and should be banned under China's Law on Food Hygiene. The announcement also says that the oil is prohibited from being used in food processing, and demands that retailers remove the oil and food processed with the residue oil from the market. Health departments at all levels in China have been urged to enhance supervision over the market. The announcement states no olive oil was exempt from the ban unless importers can prove it was not made from the olive residue.