Over 8,000 held in China for food adulteration

More than 8,200 suspects have been held in China since a campaign to crack down on food safety crime was launched in January this year amid public uproar over recurring cases of food adulteration.
Police uncovered more than 4,500 cases involving food safety offences and held more than 8,200 suspects on food safety crime since January.
They closed about 6,300 workshops and markets that produced or sold illegal food products, Ministry of Public security said in a statement.
Police confiscated more than 1.50 lakh 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 Ministry said fight against food safety crime remains onerous, as offences in some areas are prone to reoccur.
A series of scandals over baby food adulteration and marketing gutter oil to restaurants have eroded public confidence with majority of Chinese preferring to buy foreign food products for their children.
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.