Police officials in China's Tianjin Province arrested and detained seven culprits on Tuesday for their alleged involvement in the chain of over 50 factories that produced fake spices and sauces.

The seven are a few among others that are expected to be nabbed as investigations by the Ministry of Public Security of China continues.

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Asia One reported that the ministry has developed a team of over 180 law enforcement personnel to check into the counterfeit factories in Tianjin's Jinghai district.

The authorities were responding to a rising criticism from the public over the open production of counterfeit products and the authority's reluctance to take the necessary actions.

On Monday, six factories have been raided in the region, one of which produced a "vinegar" that was far fit for human consumption.

Jinghai district secretary Ji Guoqiang told Beijing News that they would investigate the scandal and impose severe punishment if an official is found to be connected with it.

Early reports had indicated that the counterfeiting firms had lowered their prices to beat that of the original products, thus creating an easy market for the product. Furthermore, they used labels from well-known brands such as Nestle to market the products, thus deceiving customers.

"Our anti-counterfeit team is looking into the matter. Product experts will help law enforcement to identify dubious products," Nestle said.

Tagschina, Counterfeit seasoning, Ministry of Public Security