Chinese authorities have taken 350 people suspected of food safety crimes into custody since the end of January, according to the Ministry of Public Security.
The arrests come as part of a government crackdown on food violations that began last month in anticipation of the Chinese Lunar New Year, which will take place this year on February 10.
While quality control is already a major problem in the country, food safety crimes are expected to spike over the holiday, said vice minister of public security Huang Ming, according to Xinhua.
The Ministry says its current focus is on Currently it is on the quality of cooking oil, meat and other items that are popular during this holiday season.
Chinese police shuttered over 220 underground food vendors as part of the crackdown, and at least 120 criminal cases are now pending.
