Speaking after the case, Gerald Heddell, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency's director of inspection, enforcement and standards, said he welcomed the conviction.

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"We are cooperating fully with Air Canada and have complied with our customer's request to its caterers to heighten food safety procedures, including inspection and screening of all products boarded on flights, " said Gate Gourmet spokeswoman Christina Ulosevich.

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China has proposed separate inspection standards for domestic and foreign products a loophole that could provide ample opportunity for blocking unwanted imports.

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Its Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service had long regulated the importation and interstate movement of plants and plant products that are pests, which were defined by means of an inclusive list.

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"Food businesses supplying processed beef products to public sector premises, including schools, prisons and hospitals, are already involved in an inspection and testing regime led by the Food Standards Agency, " he said.

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The embargo follows an EU inspection that unearthed lax controls in Chinese food production which can lead to residues and contaminants in imported products including rabbit meat, fish and shellfish.

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