A Europe-wide ban on all children's food imported from China has come into force. It follows the deaths of four Chinese children after drinking contaminated powdered milk. 13,000 children in China are still being treated in hospital. Chris Mason reports:

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The decision, under the bloc's health and safety provisions, will also mean all food imports from China which contain at least 15 percent milk products will be subjected to tests. Officials at the European Commission in Brussels are emphasising that, as far as they know, there has been no contamination of food originating from China, and these measures are purely a precaution.

The ban comes as production of a popular milk-based sweet known as White Rabbit has been stopped in China after traces of a toxic chemical were found in the product.

Chris Mason, BBC News, Brussels

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Batches
a batch is a group of similar things that are all dealt with or produced at the same time

contaminated
made impure and, as in this case, unsafe through mixing in a harmful substance

pesticides
chemical substances that are used to kill harmful insects, unwanted small animals or wild plants

traces
very small quantities

provisions
laws, rules and regulations

subjected to tests
checked, examined, chemically analysed

emphasising
stressing, giving importance to the fact

originating from
coming from, produced in

these measures are purely a precaution
here, the new ban and tests are only steps to prevent things going wrong in the future, not because there is a problem now

a toxic chemical
a harmful, poisonous substance

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