Prosecutors target crimes related to food safety

Chinese prosecutors approved the arrest of 1,693 people nationwide and brought charges against 7,316 individuals for crimes endangering food safety between January and September 2025, the Supreme People's Procuratorate said recently.

For offenses involving drug safety, prosecutors approved the arrest of 443 suspects in 279 cases and indicted 2,668 individuals, the top procuratorate said.

The SPP said procuratorial organs had also strengthened their supervisory role over law enforcement agencies. They urged administrative departments to transfer 471 cases — involving 495 people suspected of producing or selling counterfeit and substandard goods — to judicial authorities for criminal investigation, and supervised the filing of 182 additional cases involving 213 suspects.

The SPP highlighted seven representative cases of crimes threatening food and drug safety, covering products such as health supplements, beef and traditional Chinese medicine.

One case involved a cross-provincial criminal ring based in Weining county of Bijie, Guizhou province. Since 2023, the group had purchased, processed and sold cattle that were severely ill, near death or dead from unknown causes.

The group bought sick cattle from farmers for less than 4 yuan ($0.55) per kilogram and resold them to an illegal slaughterhouse run by a man surnamed Cai, who processed the meat and sold it for about 36 yuan per kg. Downstream buyers later resold the meat for 70 to 80 yuan per kg. Cai also arranged for others to transport 142 sick or dead cattle worth 156,000 yuan to various parts of Guizhou, where accomplices further processed and sold the meat.

Investigators found that Cai and his associates had handled more than 200 diseased cattle, generating total sales of 1.14 million yuan and illicit profits exceeding 510,000 yuan. Tests on seized meat confirmed the presence of viruses capable of causing food poisoning.

The case came to light after consumers reported that the beef they purchased had an abnormal color and odor. In April 2025, the Weining county procuratorate charged Cai and 25 others with producing and selling food that failed to meet safety standards. In July, the county court handed down prison terms ranging from four years to one month and fines between 1,000 yuan and 300,000 yuan.

The procuratorate and local authorities also issued a public call for information on illegal activities in the meat industry, leading to the investigation of four additional cases involving five suspects. Prosecutors have meanwhile transferred information related to bribery and misconduct by veterinarians and other public officials to disciplinary and supervisory bodies.

An official from the SPP's department for economic crimes said prosecutors are focusing on every stage of offenses that endanger food and drug safety — from production and transport to wholesale and retail — to ensure full accountability.