Shanghai issues warning

China's battle with food safety, ranging from scandals over poisonous milk, growth drugs in pigs and exploding watermelons, has led to Shanghai's Food and Drug Administration issuing guidelines on which restaurants swimmers can safely eat at during the July 16-31 World Championships.

"We have promised that all raw materials, processing and cooking procedures in designated hotels and restaurants are under strict supervision to prevent food-borne accidents and banned chemicals," said Xie Minqiang, vice director of Shanghai's FDA.

Xie's remarks came after Shanghai's FDA received requests from some foreign teams to import their own meat, the newspaper said.

This year, some Chinese farmers were caught feeding pigs clenbuterol, an illegal additive that increases the amount of lean meat in a hog. Clenbuterol is also a banned substance on the World Anti-Doping Agency's list and athletes caught with the chemical in their system could face a two-year ban.

"It is difficult to guarantee the safety of all meat served across the city, especially at small restaurants and street side stalls," Xie said.