The State Administration for Market Regulation, China's top market regulator, issued supervision notices to the market authorities of Hebei, Jiangsu and Jiangxi provinces on Thursday, asking them to initiate an investigation on counterfeit and substandard down products in these regions.

The move came as a result of a recent report by China Central Television about how some manufacturers in Nantong have been using feather fibers as stuffing in their products. This practice significantly reduces production costs, cutting expenses by nearly half.