Two dozen people suspected of producing or selling the
substandard milk powder that is alleged to have caused the deaths
of 13 infants in east China's Anhui
Province were arrested on Sunday.
Another 23 suspects involved in the incidents were detained by
police in Fuyang, a city in Anhui where the first fake formula case
came to light.
The milk powder, with little or no nutritional value, allegedly
caused malnutrition in numerous infants, leading to the deaths of
13.
Meanwhile, several other areas in the country where low-quality
milk powders were sold are cracking down on makers and sellers of
these products.
To date, four hideouts of producers and dealers have been shut
down in Fuyang alone, with 1,950 boxes of substandard powder worth
around 265,000 yuan (US$32,000) confiscated and burned by police
through Sunday.
Officials also dispatched more than 30 teams to Hebei, Shandong
and Zhejiang provinces to locate the sources of the products.
Experts say that imposing penalties on illegal manufacturers and
wholesalers is only the first step in combating such food fraud,
and far from enough.
"The supervisory departments that allowed the fake products to
remain on the market for such a long time should also be held
responsible," said Ying Songnian, a judicial commissioner with the
National People's Congress, voicing the concern of many
consumers.
The low-quality milk powders have been found in many areas,
including Beijing and the provinces of Sichuan, Shaanxi, Jiangsu,
Hebei, Hunan, Yunnan, and Guangdong.
In southwest China's Sichuan
Province, for example, local authorities seized more than
40,000 kilograms of fake milk powders last week, and they promised
to take action against suspected suppliers.
The wide-ranging investigation also revealed that a large number
of illegal manufacturers are located in northeast China's
Heilongjiang Province and north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous
Region.
(China Daily May 11, 2004)