China: Pet-food products removal not a judgment

China said Monday that Petco's removal from store shelves of pet food made in China does not confirm that the products have problems.

Petco said on Jan 5 that it has removed all remaining Chinese-made dog and cat treats from its website and stores nationwide because of concerns they have sickened thousands of pets and killed 1,000 dogs in the United States since 2007.

China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (GAQSIQ) said in a written reply to China Daily on Monday that the US Food and Drug Administration tests of more than 1,000 samples of Chinese treats on such items as salmonella enteric, mould, pesticide and veterinary drug residues, toxic metal, illegal antibiotics and nephrotoxin have not confirmed any connection between the pets' illnesses and the Chinese treats. The tests have not found any harmful or toxic substance in the products.

The US FDA said initial tests have not connected the Chinese jerky and rawhide treats to the illnesses. The San Diego-based company and its rival PetSmart said in May that they want to ban the snacks.

The FDA targeted the treats after receiving more than 4,800 complaints of pet illnesses, including the deaths, after pets ate chicken, duck or sweet-potato jerky treats from China.

Petco is the first national pet retailer to pull the treats from its 1,300 stores. Phoenix-based PetSmart Inc said on Jan 5 that it plans to have them off shelves at its roughly 1,300 stores by March.

GAQSIQ said it will maintain close communication and cooperation with the FDA and properly deal with problems that arise during bilateral trade of pet treats.

"We will give full play to companies and industry associations to ensure the safety of Chinese treats in the US," It said. "And we will step up supervision on the export inspection and quarantine of Chinese pet treats."

AP contributed to this story.