At least 38 officials in three provinces have either been dealt disciplinary punishments or face criminal charges, following a medical safety scare that revealed pill capsules were being made from leather shoes.

China's state television reported in April that a number of companies in Hebei province were using calcium-oxide to bleach wasted leather before stewing the leather into industrial gelatin to sell to capsule makers. Thirteen batches of capsules by nine manufactures were contaminated with heavy metal chromium, the report said.

According to the Ministry of Supervision website, authorities in Henan province held 20 officials responsible for lax administration of the manufacturers' operations.

Two of them were removed from posts and one was demoted. The rest received records of demerit.

In Hebei province, 12 officials in Fucheng county faced administrative punishments.

Among them, the former chairman of the people's congress of Wangji township and former deputy head of Gucheng township, were sacked, according to Xinhua News Agency report.

Local prosecutors also charged six officials of Xinchang county, Zhejiang province with dereliction of duty.