LOCAL governments have vamped up their efforts to rid the market of fake down jackets, with a city in East China being the latest to join the campaign this week.

On Monday morning, Nantong’s market supervision authorities in Jiangsu Province said that during overnight inspections assisted by local police force, they seized counterfeit down products and will hold perpetrators accountable. The officials pledged to continue their spot checks and invited the public to tip on manufacturers and sellers of fake down products.

As temperatures continued to drop, Chinese consumers snapped up down jackets and quilts which seemed like good bargains, especially those sold at online stores or during livestreams.

Nevertheless, a report from State TV cautioned that some manufacturers have been using much cheaper feather fibers to replace duck or goose down as stuffing in their products.

The price of 90% white goose down is currently above 1,000 yuan per kilogram, and that of 90% white duck down is above 500 yuan per kilogram, according to an industry website.

The cost of an average winter quilt filled with 90% down is 800 yuan (US$110), while one filled with feather fibers costs half as much, the report said.

A mixed use of feather fibers and genuine down in products, or using the cheap material entirely, is an open secret in the industry, since it’s almost impossible for consumers to distinguish between the two just from look or touch.

Previously in Jiujiang, Jiangxi Province, inspectors discovered inexpensive children’s “down” jackets filled with a mixture of feather fibers and various materials.

A store employee was quoted as saying that the counterfeit down material is widespread among local clothing manufacturers, with 200,000 items having been sold this year.

The transparent plastic tag with a sample of down sealed in it that often comes with down products sells for just 2 yuan a set, which is no proof of good quality for a down jacket or quilt, the report said.

An anti-counterfeiting influencer known as Dongge said common methods of counterfeiting down jackets include mixing in feather fibers, shredded feathers and even dog and pig hair.

Substandard down products are not just unable to keep warm, but may cause irritable skin and pose health hazard, he added.

Earlier this month, police also raided a counterfeit down jacket operation in Huzhou, Zhejiang Province. Tags on the seized jackets claimed 70% down content, but tests revealed the stuffing contained no down at all, local authorities said.

On Nov. 7, Huzhou police detained three suspects and confiscated more than 70,000 fake down jackets worth over 7 million yuan. An investigation into the case is ongoing.(SD-Agencies)