SHANGHAI, China — A blood thinner manufactured in China and linked to dozens of deaths in the United States is now safe because of tighter testing and controls, a top American health official said Monday, while warning that all U.S. imports would face closer scrutiny in the future.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has linked 81 deaths and hundreds of allergic reactions to a contaminant found in China-made shipments of the drug heparin.

"We have put in place processes that we believe can ensure the safety of the heparin supply within the United States," U.S. Health and Human Services secretary Mike Leavitt told The Associated Press in an interview in Shanghai.

He said all exporters of food, drugs and other products must prepare to meet more stringent guidelines of quality and safety, following a raft of product safety problems stemming from lax standards among overseas producers, especially in China.
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China's drug safety agency has accused the U.S. of blocking its own inquiry into the problem by refusing to provide details on victims and specifics about production. Beijing contends that it is too early to conclude that a contaminant found in raw heparin exported to the United States caused the adverse reactions.

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http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/bus...

Can you believe those folks moxie "Beijing contends that it is too early to conclude that a contaminant found in raw heparin exported to the United States caused the adverse reactions."

They must think that we will buy any lie the toletarian...er.....uh government...spits....out....as .....tru.....nevermind. Those reactions were caused by extra protein and we know protein is good for us, and these folks didn't even get charged for the extra protein they got. What are they bitching about