Deputy Prime Minister Valeri Simeonov held a meeting with Chinese Ambassador to Bulgaria Zhang Haizhou to discuss the case with imports in China of Bulgarian food products containing the oil-bearing rose Rosa Damascena, the government's information service said on Monday.

　　At the meeting Simeonov spoke about the concerns of the Bulgarian producers of foods containing Rosa Damascena and exported to China and solicited the Ambassador's assistance in addressing the matter.

　　In March 2010 the Chinese authorities on food safety adopted and published an additional list of allowed substances to be used in foods. The document, which constitutes a positive list of traditional inedible substances that may be incorporated in foods, caused concern that anything not included in it may not be used in foods sold on the Chinese market.

　　At the meeting with Simeonov, Ambassador Haizhou promised to study the matter and assist for including Rosa Damascena in the list. Simeonov requested that this take place in the shortest possible time.

　　The participants in the talks concurred that the Bulgarian producers who export to China have no cause for concern in respect of exports of allowed foods containing Rosa Damascena components, says the press release.