Shanghai food safety authorities confirmed that six arrests have been made over the alleged production and sale of “fake” milk powder under the Abbott brand name in China. 

According to a statement from the Shanghai Food and Drug Administration, the Municipal Public Security Bureau of the Shanghai Procuratorate – the body responsible for both investigation and prosecution in China – has accused the six suspects of the production and sale of counterfeit milk powder under the brand, belonging to US infant formula maker Abbott Laboratories. Details of the individuals involved in the case were not released.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

Officials at Abbott has not returned requests for comment at the time of writing.

The revelation comes as part of a wider crackdown in China focused on fraudulent milk powder sales. 

Municipal authorities are assisting the public security department under the Commission on Food Safety of the State Council, the Shanghai FDA said yesterday (5 April). The bodies are co-ordinating efforts to tighten supervision requirements and punish breaches of food safety laws thorough an investigation into “fake milk flows”. The probe is “especially” focused on tracing Internet sales of fake milk powder, the food safety watchdog said.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact