BEIJING, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- China's top quality control agency has announced a ban on imports of three kinds of biscuits from Indonesia after they were found to contain excessive levels of aluminium.

    The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) said 3.6 tons of biscuits produced by Indonesian firm PT. Arnott's Indonesia, a subsidiary of Campbell Soup Company, were found to have an aluminium level of 280 to 320 parts per million (ppm), far higher than the 100 ppm safety threshold set by the Chinese government.

    An AQSIQ official, when contacted by Xinhua, said the biscuits had been detained by the administration before being labeled in Chinese. AQSIQ's statement did say that the biscuits were marketed towards children.

    She did not disclose the identity of the Chinese importer.

    Aluminum can be toxic in excessive amounts and has a wide range of potential side effects, including gastrointestinal problems, anemia and memory loss.

    AQSIQ said in a statement that it had informed the relevant Indonesian authority and urged it to take measures to ensure the safety of Indonesian food exports to China.

    The authority also called on local authorities to step up quality inspections of food imports from Indonesia and told domestic importers to clearly specify food safety requirements in contracts with Indonesian exporters.

    Campbell Arnott's Asia has factories in Jakarta in Indonesia and has recently opened new offices in Guangzhou and Shanghai.