China's commerce authorities ferreted out 29,800 fake and substandard food cases and ordered the withdrawal of 1,253.5 tons of substandard food from the market in the past four months.

A total of 192,400 unlicensed food shops were closed and 945 tons of unqualified pork were tracked down from late August to the middle of December, according to the State Administration for Industry and Commerce.

To address food safety issues, the Chinese government launched a four-month nationwide campaign in late August to crack down on unlicensed food shops and suppliers and on sales of food products without quality and inspection certificates.

The target has been accomplished in less than four month, said a spokesman with the administration.

Vice Premier Wu Yi said last month that food safety was a highest priority of the government and the country's efforts to improve food quality was showing obvious results.

"This year, the government has taken unprecedented special action to ensure product quality and food safety," she said, adding China aimed to set up "a monitoring network" to cover the whole society and the entire process of food manufacturing and selling.

(Xinhua News Agency December 20, 2007)