Customs prevent bacteria scare

Shanghai Customs has seized 40,000 kilograms of coriander seeds carrying harmful bacteria at Yangshan Deep Water Port and will return them to Italy, local customs said.

According to the customs, on January 17, customs officers checked a batch of coriander seeds from Italy and detected harmful bacteria in their samples.

Previously, this bacterium was found in carrot seeds shipped from France and Japan to China in August 2017.

Local customs decided to return the seeds with an approval from the General Administration of Customs.

The bacteria is a new pathogen which can seriously harm plants of the nightshades family like potato, tomato, eggplant and carrot family like carrot and parsley, causing declines in their quality and yields. It was first discovered in tomatoes and chilies in New Zealand in 2009. So far there is no report of the bacteria being found in China.