China has banned imports of cloven-hoofed animals and related products from the United Kingdom in the wake of the foot-and-mouth outbreak in southern England, said a circular jointly issued by China's Ministry of Agriculture and top quality watchdog yesterday.

The prohibited items - including dairy products, which were shipped on July 8 or after will be returned or destroyed, while those shipped out of the UK before July 8 will go through strict inspections before being accepted.

China has also prohibited these items to be mailed or carried by travelers to China from the UK and those transported via China will be sealed up.

The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine told local authorities to strengthen inspection and supervision on imported animal food.

Earlier this month, cattle in southern England were found to be infected with foot and mouth disease, with some 60 animals at a farm near Guildford, Surrey testing positive.

Since August 4, a number of countries, including the United States and Japan, have stopped importing cloven-hoofed animals and related products from the UK.