Three milk producers of infant formula powder in Shaanxi province in China will be recalled due to high level of nitrate and selenium, China's Food and Drug Administration said in a statement.

The three local manufacturers were asked to stop production and sales, as well as start recalling products, Bloomberg reported.

China's food safety watchdog also urged Shaanxi authorities to punish producers who were proven to be breaking the law.

Five batches of milk powder products made by Shaanxi Guanshan Dairy had high levels of nitrate. Meanwhile, two batches of milk produced by Xi'an Guanshan Dairy and Shengtang Industry contained higher-than-standard levels of selenium, South China Morning Post reported.

A deadly milk scandal stormed China in 2008, where at least six children died while some 300,000 got sick because of the melamine content in the milk products they consumed.

The quality of milk products has since been a sensitive topic in the area, thus giving more value to imported milk, which is highly prized in the country.