Police from Foshan's Nanhai district of South China's Guangdong province have detained a total of 19 staff members from a local meat company for further investigation for slaughtering dead pigs and selling the pork on Tuesday.

Relevant departments, including public security, agriculture and rural affairs, and marketing supervision, have jointly set up a special task force to focus on investigating the case, which has raised great concerns in the local society, according to a statement released by the Nanhai district government on Wednesday.

And law enforcers have launched an on-the-spot investigation into Foshan Nanhai Heyi Meat Co, which was reported by local media as being suspected of slaughtering dead pigs and selling the pork to local meat and vegetable bazaars on Saturday.

The Nanhai district bureau of agriculture and rural affairs has ordered the company to close and stop its slaughtering business for further investigation and improvement on Monday, said the statement.

The Nanhai district government has promised to investigate the case to its fullest extent, make the findings public and punish those found to have violated relevant regulations and rules according to the law.

Meanwhile relevant departments from the district have launched a 100-day districtwide campaign on food safety inspection starting this week, aiming to ensure only quality foods and nonstaple foods go on sale in local meat and vegetable bazaars, markets and supermarkets in the weeks ahead.