Irish agri-food exports to China have grown over 270% to €620m in the past five years, Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney told those gathered at a major China-Ireland Food Safety Forum in Kildare.

China’s food safety watchdog has launched an investigation into local juice makers after a media report said they used rotten fruit to make their products.

China said that it will enhance monitoring of milk powder producers following a contamination scare at New Zealand’s Fonterra and “severely” punish any companies found to have quality or safety problems.