China said Thursday it had found no harmful pesticides during a pre-export inspection of frozen dumplings at the centre of a food scare that has left 10 Japanese people ill.
The incident has caused a national outcry in Japan, where the television networks are broadcasting horror stories from people who said they felt near death after eating the dumplings.
Japan's cabinet held an emergency meeting Thursday to discuss a response to the food poisoning, as authorities began investigating more reported cases of people falling ill.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said that before export, "the producers had tested the ginger and cabbage in the (pork) dumplings for insecticides and found the dumplings to be up to standard."
Nevertheless, he said the Chinese companies that produced the dumplings in question had been ordered to halt production and recall all their products from Japan.
"Relevant authorities have immediately suspended the export and production at the concerned enterprises and producers have been ordered to contact their Japanese import partners and recall all concerned dumplings," he said.
Meanwhile China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, the nation's top product safety watchdog, has launched its own investigation and promised a "timely release" of results.
Among the 10 Japanese, a five-year-old girl remains in serious condition.
Liu urged Tokyo to provide detailed information on its investigation into the poisoning cases and offered the help of Chinese police and food quality departments into the probe.
He insisted China always placed a high importance on food quality and food safety and expressed concern for the Japanese who have fallen ill.
