Eight suspects involved in growing and selling 560 metric tons of toxic bean sprouts have been arrested in Sanmenxia city, Henan province.

The toxic products were sold to canteens at schools, factories and hotels, as well as to families since September 2011.

Zhang Minzhao, He Shuaiwei and Fan Guoxing, who used illegal additives such as growth hormone and bleaching powder in their production and sold the bean sprouts without any certification, were arrested with the approval of a local people's procuratorate.

The prohibited additives were found in the bean sprouts, according to the testing center of the Ministry of Agriculture. Yang Qianli, the provider of the additives, was also arrested.