Fruit from the Philippines will receive stricter inspections for harmful organisms at Chinese borders, a potential setback for exporters from the country.

Ito Yokado, a Japanese supermarket chain in Beijing, has suspended sales of fruit imported from the Philippines at one of its stores for a few days, said Yang Kai, a staff member in the branch's public relations department.

"Also, we've stopped purchasing Philippine fruits from importers now. So far there is no schedule to restartit," he told China Daily on Thursday.

Pan Anyi, an administrator at Longwu fruit and vegetable market in Minhang district of Shanghai, which is the city's largest wholesale and trading market of imported fruits, said all fruits sold there must have official border quarantine reports.

"As far as I know, bananas (from thePhilippines) have been piled up at Chinese border docks," he said on Thursday.

China's top quality watchdog on Tuesday ordered stricter inspections on fruit imports from the Philippines after harmful organisms were found in several shipments, according to a notice posted on the website of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine.

Insects and bacteria have been found in pineapples, bananas and other fruits imported from thePhilippinesto ports inShanghai, Shenzhen andShandongsince last year, the notice said.

Spiders, ants and aphids have also been found in fruits from thePhilippines, it said.

Local authorities have been ordered to closely monitor and increase checks of fruits imported from thePhilippines. Sample that contain any living species, have black spots or show signs of rottingmust be sent to a laboratory for further testing.

If harmful organisms are found, the fruits will be returned or destroyed, it said.

Shenzhen border quarantine officers have found harmful organisms in 90 of the 358 batches of fruits imported from thePhilippinesthis year, statistics from Shenzhen Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau showed.

"Some of the insects and bacteria, which are not found inChina, could cause severe damagesto the country's fruit trees and even other crops," said Wan Fanghao, director of the department of biological invasions at the institute of plant protection under theChineseAcademyof Agricultural Sciences.

"Stricter inspections on fruits imported from thePhilippineswill have little impact on the local supply of imported fruit inBeijingas not many fruits here are from thePhilippines," said Tong Wei, director of a branch of Xinfadi, the largest wholesale center for agricultural produce inBeijing.

InShanghai, fruits imported from thePhilippinesnow are still on shelves in many supermarkets and farm produce markets, such as Carrefour, Wal-Mart andGlocalJapanPlaza, a Japanese retailer.

"We've asked the suppliers to step up scrutinizing the fruits after we learned many fruits from the country had been shown to carry harmful species from recent media reports," said the store manager ofGlocalJapanPlazain Huangpu district, who only gave his name as Cai.

Bananas and pineapples imported from thePhilippineswere on the stores' shelves on Thursday, and sales had not been affected, according to Cai.