76 held in China for producing, trading toxic food

BEIJING: Chinese police have arrested 76 people suspected of producing and trading toxic and harmful food online, authorities said.
Public security organs and food and drug watchdogs in China's 11 provincial-level regions have cracked down on 22 illegal factories that produced toxic, harmful food and drugs, involving 1.2 billion yuan (USD189.7 million), China's Ministry of Public Security said .

A suspect surnamed Yan in-charge of a chemical factory in east China's Shandong Province illegally organised people to produce crude illegal drugs to be added to food and sold to illegal workshops for mass production, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

One "medicine" involved in the case costs about 5 yuan for a box to produce, but is sold for 125 yuan online and 300 yuan in drug stores, the ministry said.

Public security organs have told consumers, especially the elderly and those with chronic diseases, to only buy drugs and health care products via licensed stores and report to police if they find drugs and food with illegal ingredients, the report said.