Chinese officials nabbed nine people involved in the recent infant formula milk scandal, which involved the production and selling of counterfeited powder milk under the popular imported brands "Similac" and "Beingmate."

During a press conference on Saturday, China's food safety commission said that Shanghai law enforcers already transferred six of the suspects to judicial branches for their prosecution trial and are tracking down another suspect.

Like Us on Facebook

Shanghai authorities reportedly began looking at the fake milk case after receiving a report last September. They already arrested nine suspects between December 9, 2015 and January 7, 2016 and have confiscated nearly 1,000 cans of formula milk, more than 20,000 empty cans, and 65,000 counterfeited products bearing the "Similac" brand.

Yan Zuqiang, Shanghai food safety office deputy director, said that the fake items were being sold in four Chinese provinces, namely, Anhui, Henan, Hubei and Jiangsu.

Three sellers from Anhui, Hubei, and Jiangsu volunteered to pull out and destroy more than 3,000 cans after growing suspicious of the products. Some 5,000 cans more have also been sequestered by Shanghai police.

However, there are still more than 3,000 missing cans under the trademark "Similac," while another vendor admitted to selling 3,600 cans under the brand name "Beingmate."

An investigation is ongoing to hunt counterfeit items down.

Meanwhile, China Food and Drug Administration said that the formula milk are within the national standards and posed no safety threats to infants. The Supreme People's Procuratorate said that suspects were repacking cheap baby formula for "non-baby use" and putting popular brands as labels.

Chinese consumers have become sensitive over choosing baby formula products after six infants died for drinking formula milk tainted with melamine on 2008.

Teng Juacai, food safety commission deputy head, said that the government will improve and strengthen its food safety policies.

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