In Henan Province last year, a black workshop was discovered producing and selling counterfeit infant formula. Criminals mixed “milk essence” with “starch” and packaged it as imported infant formula, selling it nationwide through an e-commerce platform, making a profit of 6.5 million yuan (RMB).
According to a report from CCTV on November 30, in August 2024, a remote warehouse on the outskirts of Zhongmu County, Henan Province, was raided, uncovering over 6,000 boxes of counterfeit infant formula, as well as a large amount of raw materials, packaging materials, equipment for producing fake and inferior infant formula. Twelve suspects were arrested in connection with the case.
Upon professional examination, it was found that these fake infant formula contained a large amount of maltodextrin, with little to no nutritional components such as fat and protein, posing a significant threat to the growth and development of children.
Investigations revealed that these counterfeit infant formulas were packaged as 14 types of imported formulas and sold through major e-commerce platforms and video platforms to various provinces across the country, involving a total amount of 6.5 million yuan.
On July 10 this year, the main culprits Cheng Ying, Ma Jing, and Liu Cheng were sentenced to 15 years in prison and fined, while over 10 other suspects were transferred to the prosecutor’s office for prosecution.
The counterfeit infant formula case has reignited the public’s terrifying memories of “Big Head Baby” and the Sanlu milk powder scandals. Many netizens have demanded the disclosure of these counterfeit brand names to help them avoid falling into similar traps.
Some netizens questioned the lack of oversight from government agencies, expressing disbelief at how so much fake infant formula could be widely produced and circulated in the market. They demanded accountability and strict punishment for those responsible.
In 2003, a large number of “Big Head Baby” cases emerged in Fuyang, Anhui. Unscrupulous businessmen were found to have substituted starch and sucrose for infant formula, leading to severe malnutrition in infants who consumed it long-term, resulting in brain developmental abnormalities and the deaths of 12 infants, with over 200 infants affected.
In 2008, Sanlu Group in Shijiazhuang, Hebei was found to have produced infant formula contaminated with melamine. Official statistics showed that 296,000 infants developed urinary system diseases such as kidney stones after consuming the product.