[Industry Reading] --- Malaysia pressed for time in entering bird nest market in China

Staff Reporter 2013-11-18 14:58 (GMT+8)

Laboring under the impact of a 2-year import ban from China, Malaysia's budding bird's nest industry waits for the lift to materialize.

Ma Juicheng, chairman of the bird's nest industry association in Kuala Lumpur, said that after a field investigation by Chinese experts, the government has pledged to allow eight enterprises to export their products to China again. The import licenses have yet to be issued.

Bird's nests are considered a delicacy and are used in a range of Chinese cuisine.

The embargo, leveled in 2011 after quality problems, has dealt a severe blow to Malaysia's bird's nest industry. According to the Chinese-language China Business News, the industry, bloated with around 60,000 establishments, is overstocked. The price of a bird's nest has dropped to MYR$1,500 (US$470) per kilo, down from MYR$6,000(US$3,750) two years ago.

Since July 2011, exports from Malaysia has plunged 90%, with only Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore still in the market. Inventory has hit several hundred tons. Malaysian officials, including premier Najib Tun Razak, have repeatedly lobbied the Chinese government to lift the embargo before the sector collapses.

In April, a team of six Chinese experts arrived in Kuala Lumpur for a two-week investigation. Eight local companies out of the 15 covered by the team passed the investigation, kindling hope for resumed trade. Despite the 'pass,' the Chinese government is still holding back the issuance of import licenses, half a year after the trip.

The Malaysian government has provided all the materials requested by China, including hygiene standard checks, qualify certifications, and quarantine certificates. Lu Yirong, chairman of Malaysia's bird's nest industry association, said that China's huge market is critical for the industry, which has an annual output of 400 tons of bird's nests, or an estimated 52 million nests. Malaysia's population only reaches 28 million, with the total number of potential consumers topping only 50 million, after taking foreign tourists into account.

Lu urged the Malaysian government to institute a source-tracking system, under which every bird's nest can be tracked to the production site, to assure product quality once the product reenters the Chinese market. He said that, in view of the importance of the Chinese market, the industry cannot afford to make another mistake, which would bring down the entire industry.

Original link is here.

[General Reading- FYI] --- Nitrite detected in edible bird nests imported from Malaysia: quality watchdog

BEIJING, December 23 (Xinhua) -- China's quality watchdog said Friday that nitrite was detected in several batches of edible bird nests imported from Malaysia during the September to October period.
These products were found at entry ports in Guangdong and Fujian provinces, according to the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ).

Although widely used to cure meats, nitrite can cause health problems, including cancer, if ingested in large amounts.

One batch of the defective products from Malaysia during the period also tested positive for staphylococcus aureus, or golden staph, which can cause various diseases such as pneumonia and sepsis, the AQSIQ said.

During the same period, two batches of bird nests labelled as having originated in Hong Kong were found to contain nitrite, with one batch also found to contain sulfur dioxide, the AQSIQ added.

AQSIQ Spokesman Li Yuanping said all these unqualified products have either been returned or destroyed by the local entry-exit quarantine inspection authorities and didn't enter the domestic market.

Original article is here.