According to the Beijing Youth Daily, the suspect products included lipsticks made by cosmetics giants Chanel and Shiseido as well as creams from the Nivea brand.

The products were removed from display at a series of large stores in the capital following an inspection held jointly by the city's health bureau and quarantine service.

Early last month, China decided to ban from April 20 the import of cosmetics products from 18 countries affected by mad cow disease, the majority of them in Europe.

The new regulations require a certificate showing each consignment of cosmetics does not contain ingredients derived from cows, sheep or goats.

However European industrial sources said providing certificates for each consignment would take time.

Earlier this month, Chinese press reported the interception of 177 items, mainly perfumes, from countries where mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), has been detected in cows or sheep.

Imports of European cosmetics into China were worth more than 20 million euros (US$18 million) last year.

The Japanese government has confirmed three cases of BSE, the first outside Europe, since September.

(China Daily April 27, 2002)