Fearing many dairy owners will ignore the production ban and secretly resume operations, officials also issued a warning. "Production without a licence will be strictly punished according to the law," the agency said.
Like other parts of China's food sector, the dairy industry has been riddled with poisoning and toxin scandals that have repeatedly shaken consumer confidence.
At least six children died and nearly 300,000 fell ill in 2008 after they drank powdered milk laced with melamine, which gave misleadingly high readings of protein levels.