China: New standards to ban bleaching of pistachios

Regulators are busy drafting food safety standards for pistachios to prevent widespread bleaching of the product, experts said.
"Due to traditional eating habits, bleached pistachios are prevailing in China because of their 'clean look'," said Weng Yangyang, secretary-general of the committee for seeds and nuts of the China National Food Industry Association.
The association will create a set of standards within the year, regulating the production of several nuts including pistachios, peanuts and almonds, Weng said on Saturday during the World Nuts and Dried Fruit Congress.
Bian Zhenhu, vice-chairman of the China Chamber of Commerce of Import and Export of Foodstuffs, Native Produce and Animal By-Products, said China has become the world's largest consumer of pistachios.
A total of 150,000 tons of pistachios have been sold in the country this year, which is one-third of the global trade and the number is increasing, Bian said.