China's quality watchdog said Tuesday that it is considering subjecting PVC food wrappers to compulsory import and export testing.

Liu Zhaobin, spokesman for the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of China, said China will step up efforts in the supervision of the trade and production of the product.

Liu noted that some PVC food wrappers available on the domestic market contain DEHA, a plastic banned from food packing by Chinese law .

DEHA, which was used to add plastic or other materials to make or keep them soft and pliable, can enter human body with food after being heated at a temperature of more than 100 Celsius or encountering fatty food.

Liu said the administration will launch a test on each imported batch of PVC food wrapper. Those with DEHA will be banned.

The administration made the announcement following a survey of 44 varieties of PVC food cover film producers on the Chinese mainland since Oct. 14.

Currently, there are 47 producers of food wrap film on the Chinese mainland in 12 provincial areas, only six of which produce PVC food wrap film.

The PVC food wrap film plants are owned wholly or partly by foreign investors and the total annual output stands at 10,000 tons, 90 percent for the domestic market and the remaining 10 percent for exports, according to a statement released by the administration.

(Xinhua News Agency October 26, 2005)