Chinese authorities have nabbed six people for producing and selling counterfeited infant formula in seven Chinese provinces using the famous US brand Similac, according to a Shanghai government body.

Similac maker Abbott revealed via Weibo on Tuesday, April 5 that the case was uncovered in December and the fake products have all been tracked and seized.

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The statement further revealed that the company is also tracing sales made over the Internet, according to Shanghai Municipal Food and Drug Administration.

Chinese state media discovered that the group has already sold over 17,000 cans of milk, costing around 2 million yuan ($309,000). China Food and Drug Administration, on the other hand, said that as per quality inspections by Shanghai authorities, the formula met the national standards and posed no safety threat to infants.

Meanwhile, the Supreme People's Procuratorate revealed that the suspects have been charged with repacking cheap baby formula (or milk powder) for "non-baby use" and putting top brands as labels.

These products were sold to salesmen in Henan's Zhengzhou and Jiangsu's Xuzhou, who in turn distributed the counterfeited milk to a number of places across China.

The group behind the fake infant formula scam is reportedly run by two organizers, surnamed Chen and Tang, who are suspected to have supplied the formula cans bearing the top brand labels. Two unidentified suspects are reported to have supplied the group with the cheap milk powder.

Shanghai People's Procuratorate said an investigation is ongoing into the case and refused to comment or provide specific details.

The China Food and Drug Administration released a statement on Monday warning consumers to be careful when purchasing baby formula online. It also reminded infant formula sellers and online sale platforms to abide by the country's food safety law, stressing that they will be held liable if found guilty of being involved in food safety crimes.

Tagsinfant formula, fake milk, counterfeited products, Shanghai, China Food and Drug Administration, food safety