China's food safety problems are partly a result of misunderstandings brought about by exaggerations in media reports, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said Tuesday.

Qin Gang's comments at a regular press conference come as some countries have warned its citizens about tainted toothpaste and pet food originating from China.

"One aspect of this is a misunderstanding which in large part is a result of media exaggeration," Qin said. "That creates a psychology of fear."

Truly problematic products are "extremely few," he said.

Most recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it was imposing an import control on select farm-raised seafood from China, saying it will detain those products at the border until the shipments are proven to be free of residues from drugs that are not approved in the United States.