The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has banned the production of sterilized milk that uses reconstituted milk in the production process as of Tuesday.

The ministry has taken the action in a bid to enhance the quality of dairy products and bolster the domestic dairy industry, it said.

This decision is part of the update to the national food safety standards jointly released by the National Health Commission and the State Administration for Market Regulation in April.

According to the standards, only raw milk can be used as the base ingredient for sterilized milk, banning the use of reconstituted milk or milk powder.

Reconstituted milk, also known as recombined milk, is produced by mixing dry dairy products with water, which can diminish the nutritional value of milk due to multiple heat treatments.