BEIJING - CHINA said on Friday it had arrested a total of 60 people in the tainted milk scandal that led to the deaths of at least six children and sickened nearly 300,000 others.

Police had arrested them for 'producing or selling toxic and harmful food products,' China's Ministry of Public Security said on its website, as it summarised actions taken since the scandal erupted in September last year.

It did not give details on who the 60 people were.

So far, 21 people have stood trial over the safety scare, including the former boss of Sanlu, the dairy company at the heart of the scandal.

The verdicts have yet to be announced, but some of the defendants could reportedly face the death penalty.

Twenty-two companies in China were found to have sold milk contaminated with the industrial chemical melamine, which is normally used to make plastic, prompting worldwide recalls of Chinese dairy products.

The melamine was mixed into the milk to give the appearance of higher protein content. -- AFP