More than 17,000 people nationwide were prosecuted for food and drug safety crimes following a 15-month joint crackdown, the Supreme People's Procuratorate said on Friday.

The SSP, the State Administration for Market Regulation and the National Medical Products Administration conducted the operation from September 2019 to December last year to combat crimes involving food and drug safety breaches and to promote adequate management procedures in the area.

Market regulators across the country investigated 284,800 cases involving food safety violations, while authorities overseeing medical products handled 107,700 drug cases during the operation.

In May, the people's procuratorate in Yongxing county, Hunan province, filed a case against the local market supervision administration for failing to perform its duties in a fake infant milk powder case, which resulted in babies contracting rickets.

From December 2017 to August 2019, a chain selling products for infants misled parents into buying the fake milk powder. The chain operator was fined 2 million yuan ($310,000), following a recommendation from the local procuratorate.

After the COVID-19 outbreak, the three departments cracked down on the production and sale of counterfeit and substandard protective products and medicines to ensure the quality and safety of drugs and medical equipment, said an SPP official.

The State Administration for Market Regulation strengthened supervision and law enforcement to ensure the price, quality and safety of epidemic prevention supplies. It also acted to maintain the quality and stable supply of people's daily necessities.

The National Medical Products Administration organized large-scale inspections of medical devices used for epidemic prevention and control and promoted the research and development of vaccines.

Two vaccines have been conditionally approved, while 16 other types have been given the green light for clinical trials. Of those, 6 vaccines are undergoing phase III clinical trials, according to the administration.