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Chinese authorities have arrested 22 people in northern China who were allegedly part of a network that produced and sold milk contaminated with the chemical melamine.

The official Xinhua news agency says that among those detained, 19 were managers of 17 pastures, breeding farms and milk purchasing stations.

Police tell Xinhua that the chemical, which is usually used in making plastics, was being produced in underground plants and then sold to breeding farms and purchasing stations.

The arrests come as British candy maker Cadbury announced the recall of 11 varieties of Chinese-made products from shelves in China, Taiwan and Australia.

Melamine-laced infant milk has already sickened some 53-thousand babies in China. Four children have died after drinking milk or milk products laced with melamine.