However, the attention of the Chinese government and of producers is changing due to problems that have been encountered with non-organic production methods. Thus, for example, the market for Asian ginseng was greatly impaired when U.S. officials noted the presence of quintozene residue (a commonly used fungicide that prevents root rot) in some imported roots (mainly from Korea). The problem encountered initially was that this fungicide is not approved for use on ginseng by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (not because it is inherently problematic, as it is used for numerous crops in the U.S., but only because the approval hadn't been established). For herb users who are seeking chemical-free foods and herbs, this news also indicated that ginseng could not be trusted to be organically grown or, at the least, free from chemical residues. Indeed, it is almost impossible to grow ginseng on a commercial scale without using fungicides of some type; it is possible to minimize the presence of residues, frequently reaching the non-detectable level.
An even greater impact was felt in China after Western countries banned imports of its bee products. This came about when chloramphenicol (an antibiotic) was detected in several samples of pollen (it was also found in royal jelly). At that moment, China was the largest supplier of bee products in the world; a situation that changed immediately and put the bee industry in China into turmoil.