Fake child vitamins 'produced in washing machine'

Enforcement authorities in the Philippines have busted a factory in Arayat, Pampanga, that was producing counterfeit children's vitamin products in a washing machine.

National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents raided the facility based on a tip-off from a former employee and found ingredients like sugar and unregistered food colouring and flavouring ingredients being mixed in the unsanitary machine to make a syrup that was being sold as a vitamin supplement. An investigation suggested that the factory had been producing the falsified products for almost 20 years, according to a GMA News report.

The operation resulted in the seizure of 400,000 pesos (around $6,500) of product, according to the report, which says the gang started out counterfeiting a well-known vitamin C brand and changed over time to copy other brands. The owner of the factory has been arrested and is facing charges.