Report: China admits quality control issues

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- As concerns about the safety of Chinese goods mount, the Chinese government has acknowledged that there are widespread quality-control issues, according to a report published Wednesday.

In fact, nearly one-fifth of the sold-in-China products that were studied failed to meet the country's quality standards, the Wall Street Journal's online edition said citing a report by a quality-control agency.

The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, reviewed 114 types of products made by more than 6,300 companies and found that 19.1 percent of them were substandard, the paper said, citing a statement on the group's Web site.

The report identified several categories of low-quality products, including bottled water, canned fruit, dried fish, linens and grass-cutting equipment, the Journal said.

But, the quality of beer, fruit and vegetable drinks, electric fans and wooden floorboards, had improved, the paper said citing the agency.

Scrutiny of the safety of Chinese exports has intensified with the recent discovery of contaminated food, dangerous chemicals in pet food and medicines and lead paint on toys.

Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it would not allow imports of Chinese farm-raised seafood unless suppliers could prove the shipments contained no harmful residue.