Over 8,200 arrested in China for food safety crimes

BEIJING - More than 8,200 suspects have been captured since a campaign to crack down on food safety crime was launched on Jan 25, the Ministry of Public Security said Wednesday.

The ministry said police uncovered more than 4,500 cases involving food safety offenses and closed about 6,300 workshops and markets that produced or sold illegal food products.

Police confiscated more than 150,000 illegal products, including fake cooking oil, meat, spices and seasonings, health care products, alcoholic beverages, soft drinks and illegal additives, the ministry said in a report.

The fight against food safety crime remains onerous, as offenses in some areas are prone to reoccur, according to the ministry.

The police will continue to work with government authorities to fight food safety crime, the report said.

China has seen multiple food safety scandals in recent years.

In 2008, at least six children died and 300,000 others fell ill after consuming milk powder contaminated with melamine.

Recent scandals involving adulterated mutton, lime-preserved eggs processed with copper sulphate and ginger grown with highly toxic pesticide have aggravated public concerns over food safety.