Russian children sickened by food imports

MAGADAN, Russia, Jan. 31 (UPI) -- More than 200 children have been hospitalized in Russia's Magadan Region after eating fruit largely imported from China, health officials said.

Most of the children were under the age of 3 and fell ill after eating imported apples, bananas and citrus, much it shipped from China, RIA Novosti reported Sunday.

The illness affected whole families, though children were especially hard hit by the allegedly contaminated products, Rossiya TV reported.

Residents of the far east region will be less dependent on imported fresh food when the weather warms and domestic food supplies return, officials said.