China's authorities retrieved 980 million yuan ($149.16 million) for cheated buyers in 2010 as the country stepped up efforts to protect consumer rights, official figures showed.

In 2010, industrial and commercial regulators found 94,000 cases of substandard food production and 110,000 cases of fake and shoddy product sales, according to figures released by the State Administration of Industry and Commerce (SAIC) ahead of World Consumer Rights Day.

Thousands of other cases of misconduct were discovered. They include trademark infringements, competition by inappropriate means, deceptive advertising and pyramid selling, said the SAIC.

Consumer complaints services around the country received 5.21 million queries in 2010 while 754,000 complaints were filed during that period.

There are altogether 339 centers to deal with consumer complaints across the country and 22 provincial authorities had set up consumer protection agencies, the SAIC said.