HORTICULTURE leaders have demanded more testing of Chinese produce following revelations melamine has been found on Chinese vegetables.

Media reports from China claimed "excessive" amounts of melamine had been found on Chinese lettuce, tomato, mushroom, water cress and potato.

Australia imports large amounts of mushrooms, frozen and dried vegetables, fruit and nuts, frozen fruit, seafood, garlic and confectionary from China.

Melamine is the chemical at the centre of the Chinese tainted milk scandal - a Chinese company had added it to dairy product to boost protein counts.

Contaminated imported confectionary was removed from Australian shelves after tests confirmed detected melamine.

Food Standards Australia New Zealand will investigate the reports of melamine on Chinese vegetables - FSANZ spokeswoman Lydia Buchtmann said FSANZ could order the Australian Quarantine Inspection Service to ramp up testing.

An AQIS spokesman said the department would "await instruction from FSANZ".

The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation last year warned that the pesticide cyromazine could produce melamine as it broke down - which could explain the melamine on the vegetables.

The Chinese Economics and Finance magazine claimed melamine, ammonia, sodium nitrate, potassium nitrate and silica were routinely added to stock feed in China to boost nutritional profiles.

AusVeg chairman David Anderson, Consumer advocate Choice, Apple and Pear Australia general manager Tony Russell and Fruit Growers Victoria general manager John Wilson all called for more testing of Chinese produce.

Mr Anderson said testing of imported produce should be increased at least to the level Australian growers are tested.

The Weekly Times understands testing of imported foodstuffs is frequent when the producer first exports to Australia, but decreases to taking a sample from 5 per cent of consignments.

Victorian Farmers Federation Horticulture Group president Peter Cochrane said a safety issue on imported produce could hurt local produce also, as customers may not differentiate between the two.

Ms Buchtmann said at first glance, the level of melamine reported appeared to be at an acceptable level.

"Melamine is sometimes found on a wide range of foods - it comes from the packaging or processing equipment," Ms Buchtmann said.

Ms Buchtmann said the food safety system was working, despite the fact that contaminated confectionary from China had made its way on to Australian shelves.

Mr Russell said Biosecurity Australia should involve FSANZ in the current risk assessment on Chinese apples.