• Los Angeles Times, Tuesday, February 12, 2008 11:30 AM

Trader Joe's plans to remove all single-ingredient items imported from China from its shelves by April 1. The grocery chain says it is responding to customer concerns after a string of discoveries of tainted goods from that country, but it doesn't detail what those concerns are or identify the products.

Food safety experts say there is cause for concern. They cite the application in China of excess or dangerous pesticides, improper use of sewage for fertilizer and the use of illegal antibiotics in seafood farming. "China also still has a problem with corruption," says Jaydee Hanson, a policy analyst for the Center for Food Safety in Washington.

Some other chains won't be following Trader Joe's lead. Whole Foods Market says that it is "in a different situation." It doesn't sell any meat, seafood or produce from China, and a limited amount of grocery products, it says. Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market, owned by British grocer Tesco, says it will continue to sell food imported from China.

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