New rules to be introduced next month will help ensure that Muslims in the city will be able to eat more authentic halal food.

The rules, or Guangzhou Islamic Food Administration Regulations, will come into effect on June 10.

The new regulations require that both the managerial staff and employees of lower levels of a halal food supplier should include Muslims who eat this food and that only these people would be allowed to run businesses selling halal food.

The regulations also highlight the requirement that halal food suppliers should have concrete measures to ensure the authenticity of raw materials and bring the production, packaging, transportation and sales of halal food in line with Islamic customs.

"With the new regulations coming into effect, Muslims will be better protected from unauthentic halal foods and they will be less likely to be offended,'' Vice-Mayor Su Zequn told a press conference Tuesday.

It is not rare case for Muslims to inadvertently buy unauthentic food due to a lack of such regulations, he added.

Besides, he said, the regulations will better guide investors and related businesses in their attempts to tap into the market, helping keep the development of Guangzhou's halal food industry right on track.

Wang Dekun, director-general of the Guangzhou Ethical and Religious Affairs Administration, said local authorities have made great efforts to ensure the adequate supply of halal food and to help the operation of Islamic restaurants.

The city has invested 2 million yuan (US$240,000) in the setting up of a halal slaughterhouse.

Official statistics indicate that Guangzhou has more than 100 outlets either supplying halal foods or running restaurants, and the city's Muslim population is over 10,000.

The city's exhibitions, especially the Chinese Export Commodities Fair, attract tens of thousands of Muslims from around the world every year, in addition to another thousands of Muslim tourists from home and abroad.