China arrests more than 110 people for selling pork from diseased pigs, tons of meat seized

Chinese police have arrested more than 110 people on suspicion of selling pork from diseased pigs in the country's latest food safety scandal.

The Public Security said in a statement Monday that more than 1,000 tons of contaminated pork and 48 tons of cooking oil produced from the meat had been seized in the operation that began last year across 11 provinces.

The ministry said the suspects belonged to 11 different syndicates who purchased pigs that had died of disease from farmers at cut-rate prices then processed them into bacon, ham and oil.

It said the producers sourced the pigs by bribing government livestock insurance agents, several of whom were also sent for prosecution.

A series of scandals in China have deeply undermined public trust in food safety.