Over 2,200 pigs have been found dead in one of Shanghai's main water sources, triggering a public outcry in China where concerns over food safety and environmental pollution run high, Reuters reported.

According to official media, the carcasses were probably dumped in the Huangpu river in Zhejiang province and the total number was expected to increase.

"We have to act quickly to remove them all for fear of causing water pollution," Xu Rong, director of Shanghai Songjiang District Environmental Protection Bureau, was quoted as saying as the national parliament, where pollution has been a hot topic, met in Beijing.