Calling the arrests a major step forward, Chinese regulators said the suspects were nabbed during nationwide inspections of restaurants, food and drug plants and wholesale food markets, The New York Times (NYSE:NYT) reported.

The crackdown follows a series of high-profile recalls involving everything from tainted pet food ingredients to lead paint on children's toys.

"This action of inspecting food safety demonstrates our determination and we should make every effort to further consolidate our previous work," China's quality supervisor said in a statement published on a government Web site.

Last summer the former head of China's food and drug administration was executed after being convicted of taking bribes and failing to properly supervise food and drug companies.

Earlier this month China reported that 82 percent of food tested in medium and large cities met food safety standards while nearly 30 percent of the restaurants surveyed by regulators had failed food safety inspections.