Essentially, the FDA action shifts the burden of proof to Chinese companies, which must now supply evidence that their products are safe. Most consumers should not be affected, since major U.S. food manufacturers get their milk ingredients here.

A senior lawmaker said the FDA waited too long to act and more Chinese products should be held for testing.

"The FDA should have acted sooner to ban these milk products from entering the country," said Rep. Rosa DeLauro, chairwoman of a panel that oversees the FDA budget. She urged that egg and fish products also be tested, since melamine has been added to animal feed in China.

"Clearly, the problems involving melamine in China are significantly deeper than FDA would have us believe," DeLauro said.

Unscrupulous companies in China have routinely watered down milk, then added melamine to artificially boost protein readings on quality tests. The practice became known after the Beijing Olympics this summer. It backfired when tens of thousands of Chinese children got sick with kidney problems after drinking contaminated infant formula. Nearly 13,000 children were hospitalized in China, and at least four died.

Other melamine-tainted products soon surfaced, setting off a global safety scandal that has further tarnished the reputation of Chinese brands.

The U.S. does not import milk or infant formula from China, and no illnesses have been reported here. But authorities from California to Connecticut have found melamine-contaminated candies and drinks during inspections at Asian groceries. Thursday's FDA order widens a directive from last month authorizing inspectors to detain goods from 10 Chinese companies.

"The problem of melamine contamination (in China) is not limited to infant formula products," said the FDA order. "Chinese government sources indicate contamination of milk components, especially dried milk powder, which are used in a variety of finished foods. These contaminated milk components appear to have been dispersed throughout the Chinese food supply chain."

A national poll released earlier this week by Consumers Union found that the public wants foreign food-producing facilities inspected as frequently as domestic ones: about once a month. The FDA has nowhere near the number of inspectors to fulfill that desire, and instead mainly relies on U.S. food companies to require that their foreign supplier maintain high standards.

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Contributing: Lee Davidson