Shanghai food authority says that it has arrested six people suspected of manufacturing and selling mislabeled baby formula in several provinces, April 4, 2016. [Photo: cztv.com]

Shanghai food authority on Monday said that it has arrested six people suspected of manufacturing and selling more than 17,000 cans of mislabeled baby formula in several provinces, from which they profited by nearly 2 million yuan, or around 310,000 US dollars.

Abbott Laboratories Trading Co. Ltd., the company whose brand is one of those being counterfeited, posted a statement on its official Weibo account yesterday saying that all faked products had been confiscated already.

According to the China Food and Drug Administration, quality inspections by Shanghai police showed that the formula met national standards and posed no safety threat.

The top food safety authority ordered a thorough investigation into the fake-brand baby formula case on Monday.

The Supreme People's Procuratorate said the suspects were accused of buying cheap baby formula, or milk powder, for "non-baby use" and packaging it in cans bearing the labels of top brands.

They then sold the products in several provinces across China.

The suspects include two alleged organizers, surnamed Chen and Tang as well as two others thought to have produced baby formula cans with top-brand labels, and two who allegedly supplied low-end milk powder. Agencies in Shanghai are tracing those still at large.

Shanghai People's Procuratorate said on Monday that the case is still being investigated and declined to give details, such as the brands that were pirated.

The China Food and Drug Administration reminded consumers to be cautious when buying baby formula online.