The U.S. and other countries have cracked down on Chinese products since the Food and Drug Administration found in April that North American dogs and cats had been poisoned by tainted Chinese pet food ingredients. Since then, a growing number of Chinese products have been found to contain potentially toxic chemicals and other adulterants.

Increasingly Chinese authorities have responded by prominently announcing their own rejections of imports, including orange pulp, dried apricots, raisins and health supplements from the United States apparently to show that they are not the only ones with food safety problems.

Most recently, China suspended some U.S. imports of chicken feet and pigs' ears.

"Some foreign media, especially those based in the U.S., have wantonly reported on so called unsafe Chinese products. They are turning white to black," said Li Changjiang, minister of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine.