Chinese authorities have arrested six people for making and selling fake infant formula as the popular US brand “Similac”, marketing the counterfeit product across seven provinces, a Shanghai government body said.

Abbott, maker of Similac, said separately on Tuesday that the case came to light in December and the fake goods had been traced and seized by the end of last year, according to a statement on its verified Chinese microblog.

The Shanghai Municipal Food and Drug Administration said it was also tracking Internet sales of the fake milk powder, according to its statement released Monday.

State media reports have previously said the gang sold more than 17,000 cans, earning nearly 2.0 million yuan ($309,000).

National authorities said the fake powder posed no safety risk. In a separate case, a Chinese court last month sentenced 10 people to jail for as long as 15 years for selling fake beef jerky, state media reported.