Still reeling from news of melamine-tained eggs and dairy, China launched a massive inspection into animal feed manufacturers - seizing more than 3,500 tons of tainted feed, state-run media reported Sunday.
The Agriculture Ministry deployed 369,300 agricultural experts and law enforcement personnel to inspect 250,400 animal feed producers and farms, the Xinhua news agency reported.
Wang Zhicai, the ministry's director of husbandry and livestock, said the inspectors confiscated and destroyed 3,682 tons of melamine-tainted feed, shut down 238 feed producers and investigated 278 other companies and farms suspected of illegal activity, Xinhua reported.
Some 22,700 batches of animal feed were checked for melamine and nearly 98 percent met government standards, Xinhua reported, citing the Agriculture Ministry, CNN reported.
It remains unclear how much tainted feed has entered the food chain.