China's food safety authorities launched a nationwide campaign on Thursday to enhance supervision over the quality of liquor produced by distilleries in order to "safeguard consumers' health and safety."

Relevant departments should "improve application procedures for liquor production permits, enhance inspections and strictly regulate the circulation of unblended liquor," the executive office of a food safety commission under the State Council, or China's cabinet, said in a circular.

Special inspections should be conducted for liquor-processing companies, the circular said.

Market inspections should be strengthened to clamp down on unlicensed businesses and supervision over trade fairs, exhibitions and expos should be stepped up, it said.

It also called for enhanced management for catering business that buy liquor from outside sources or that brew their own liquors.

Liquor smuggling should be "severely cracked down on" by supervising the import and export of liquor, the circular said.

Companies that commit serious violations should have their business operations shut down and be added to an industry blacklist, the circular said.

Techniques to differentiate and detect counterfeit liquor should be promoted, it said, adding that relevant national standards and manufacturing regulations should be created at an early date.

A tracing and accountability mechanism for liquor quality should also be established, the circular said.

The circular said that authorities will "severely punish" liquor counterfeiters and unlicensed producers, and will investigate the sources of raw materials used in the production of counterfeit liquor.

Industry policies should be further improved to grant responsibilities to companies, guilds and supervisors in order to boost the quality of China's liquor products, the circular said.

(Xinhua News Agency June 23, 2011)