HAIKOU - China's food and drug watchdog Tuesday vowed a "ruthless" crackdown on the production and sales of substandard health foods and cosmetics this year.

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Bian Zhenjia, deputy director of the State Food and Drug Administration said at a national conference that despite stepped-up supervision on the sector last year, the country's health food and cosmetics markets still faced many quality problems.

In 2011, the administration will ruthlessly crack down on producers of health foods and cosmetics that use fake materials or illegal additives in them, operate without a license, and those that make or sell fake or substandard products, Bian said.

Local authorities should impose hefty fines on those companies that have breached the law, and confiscate all substandard products and illegal gains, he said.

For those companies using illegal additives, their production licenses must be revoked, said Bian.

Moreover, for those that have falsely advertised their products, local authorities must order them to recall their products or make rectifications. And products with potential risks must be taken off shelves and suspended from production, he said.