Chinese food exported to New Zealand meets hygiene standards and is safe, the New Zealand government has said.

On August 15, the New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) announced a comprehensive test result for food sold in the country, including a range of locally grown and imported items. Results showed that no harmful substance residues were found in pet food imported from China; antibiotics were found in some aquaculture and processed products, but were still lower than the regulatory limit

NZFSA assistant director Glen Neal said the agency's tests showed similar results with those carried out by other countries, and that Chinese food exported to New Zealand met food safety standards.

On August 20, New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark said in an interview with Radio New Zealand, some Chinese products did have quality problems, but it did not make all products from China unsafe.

(China.org.cn by Zheng Na, August 24, 2007)