Authorities in four eastern provinces reportedly seized 40,000 boxes of bogus vaccines that provided no protection against rabies, still a major killer in China's countryside.
In Shanghai, illegal producers made phony tofu cakes mashed together from gypsum, paint and starch, then fried in oil made from kitchen waste, swill and intestines, the Shanghai Youth Daily newspaper reported.
The makers paid police about 9,200 yuan (US$1,100) a year to avoid inspections, according to the newspaper, which said it sent two reporters to pose as tofu merchants.
"Once a product is on shelves, it is very hard to tell what is poisonous and to get anyone to spend the time and the money to pursue a case," said Cai, the environmental law specialist.
Public outrage has prompted punishment of some negligent officials and stepped-up inspections.
Shanghai has launched a "Fear-Free Food Campaign," and says it will close small slaughterhouses and step up quality inspections of grocery stores, outdoor markets and cafeterias.
"I only buy from the original producers, because distributors can't be trusted," said a woman who identified herself by her surname, Xuan, who owns a grocery in the northeastern city of Dandong.
"There is so much fake stuff around," she said. "Even fruit juice and noodles."
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