• October 25, 2007

Trader Joe's plans to gradually eliminate imported foods from China, citing concerns over safety standards for some products, including those bearing the "organic" claim.

Alison Mochizuki, spokeswoman for the Monrovia, Calif.-based, privately owned chain, said in a statement that the company will phase out single-ingredient products from mainland China by Jan. 1, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

"We feel confident that all of our products from China meet the same high-quality standards that we set for all of our products," the statement read. "However, our customers have voiced their concerns about products from this region and we have listened. We will continue to source products from other regions until our customers feel as confident as we do about the quality and safety of Chinese products."

The new policy does not include banning products made with multiple ingredients, although some of the ingredients may have originated from China.

--Tanya Irwin