The notice did not specify the name of the US meat processor. Poultry exporters are usually identified by registered codes, according to Tan Zhanglong, a division director of the quarantine authorities in Huizhou of South China's Guangdong Province.

But Tan, whose agency detected and destroyed the contaminated products earlier this month, said yesterday that the 23.5-ton batch of infected frozen chicken legs were shipped from South Carolina.

This is the second time in a month that the Chinese agency has found the same pathogen in US poultry products, Tan said.

In early December, the agency discovered a 24.4-ton batch of frozen chicken wings shipped from Atlanta were contaminated, Tan said.

The frozen products were then burnt and buried in line with Chinese quarantine rules, he said.

Chicken meat is popular in the Chinese diet, and consumers prefer many cuts that are of less demand in other markets such as feet, wings and offal.

US poultry meat exports to the Chinese mainland and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region were valued at US$357.6 million between January and November, making this combined market a leading destination for US exports, said John Wade, a senior agriculture attache with the US Embassy in Beijing.

The foul poultry issue has been given close attention from the United States.

"We are working to address the concerns of the Chinese food safety agency regarding a recent shipment of US chicken wingtips," said Joe Bookbinder, a spokesperson for the US Embassy. "We have requested additional information from the Chinese Government, including Chinese regulations regarding tolerance of E. coli."

He said that the US Department of Agriculture inspects all raw poultry sold in the United States and exported to all countries by law.

(China Daily January 28, 2002)