Cheats use ministry’s name — N

Posted on August 17, 2011, Wednesday

BOOST FOR SECTOR: Noh (standing centre) witnessing the signing of two MoUs on agricultural training at Wisma Tani yesterday. — Bernama photo

PUTRAJAYA: Nest of cheats. Some unscrupulous quarters are using the name of the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry to market bird nest products overseas. These quarters were selling the products direct to Hong Kong and China without the Veterinary Health Mark (VHM) certificate, said the minister, Datuk Seri Noh Omar. He said he would advise China not to purchase the products without certification.

“The ministry takes a serious view of parties using its name to market bird nest products overseas. “We have not given approval to any individual or company to endorse their bird nest products as the best in the world. I will be visiting Shanghai soon to discuss with the Chinese Government on the export of bird nest products,” added Noh.

The minister was asked to comment on a foreign news agency report that certain parties were using the ministry’s name to market their bird nest products in China. He was speaking after the signing of two memorandums of understanding (MoU) on agricultural training at Wisma Tani here yesterday.

One of the MoU, involving the National Agricultural Training Centre (NATC), Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority and the Farmers Organisation, is aimed at setting up a marketing school, using the ‘blue ocean strategy’. Another MoU between NATC and Skill-Tech Institute was aimed at setting up programmes to develop skilled human capital and train entrepreneurs for entry into the Malaysian Agricultural College. — Bernama

Adhere to requirements, bird’s nests suppliers told

by Philip Wong, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on August 11, 2011, Thursday

SIBU: The confirmation that China has not banned bird’s nests from Malaysia has put an end to speculations that Malaysian bird’s nests do not comply with the level of sodium nitrate content. Secretary of Sarawak Bird’s Nests Suppliers Association, Colin Wong, however, reminded industry players here to be alert at all times and to comply strictly with the requirements.

“Bird’s nests suppliers should ensure that their products do not contain more than 30ppm (part per million) nitrate grade level which is the acceptable standard in the world market and is in line with the Food Regulations Act 1985,” he said when contacted yesterday.

Wong was referring to the recent disclosure by Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Datuk Chua Tee Yong that China had not banned bird’s nests from Malaysia. The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of China had confirmed this to the Malaysian Agriculture Counselor in Beijing.

Last month, the administration tested bird’s nests from Malaysia and found that samples did not comply with the acceptance level of nitrate in bird’s nests in China, which is zero. This gave rise to rumours that China had banned bird’s nests from Malaysia.

China is believed to be the only country requiring zero-nitrate for bird’s nests. The country imported about RM1 billion worth of bird’s nest products and is also the biggest importer of the item. Wong refused to believe that Malaysian swiftlet farmers and suppliers would stoop that low as to mix nitrate with the bird’s nests before supplying them to China, thus giving rise to all the rumours of a Chinese ban.

He said it could be the work of other bird’s nest suppliers who used Malaysian bird’s nests and mixed them with nitrate before exporting them to China. This gave the impression that Malaysian bird’s nests were mixed with an unacceptable level of nitrate, thus the ban. Lately, the prices of bird’s nests had dipped by several hundred ringgit per kg while the brand of one particular product dipped to RM4,000 from RM4,800 previously.

This had caused a temporary setback to the bird’s nests suppliers here. Wong, however, clarified that the drop in prices had nothing to do with the Chinese ban. He said the drop in prices had something to do with the grade of the bird’s nests, its colour, thickness and the overall quality.

“Sometimes, a group of people would come out and offer one lump sum to buy the products at reduced prices. This doesn’t mean that the price of bird’s nests has dropped,” he said.

Health Ministry to develop standard for swiftlet nest

Posted on August 5, 2011, Friday

KUALA LUMPUR: A study is being carried out by the Health Ministry to develop a specific standard for swiftlet nest and its products under the Food Regulations 1985. Its minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said this was to enhance consumers’ confidence on the safety level of swiftlet nest and its products since it was a new industry.

“Safety and quality control of all swiftlet nest products will also be upgraded to ensure they are safe and of quality,” he said in a statement here yesterday.

He said swiftlet nest producers would also be registered in the food premises registration system through http://fosimdomestic.moh.gov.my to make it easier for them to comply with the Food Hygiene Regulations 2009.

Liow said the ministry also introduced the 1Malaysia Food Safety Scheme (SK1M) to assist small and medium entrepreneurs, including producers of swiftlet nest and its products to carry out their own food safety control programme.

He said the ministry would also work with the Agriculture and Agrobased Industry Ministry to ascertain the safety of raw swiftlet nests at the farm level. — Bernama

Bird’s nest tracking system to prevent fakes in the market

LABIS: The Government has come up with a swiftlet nest tracking system to prevent fake, adulterated or substandard bird’s nest products from being distributed in the market.Deputy Agriculture Minister Chua Tee Yong said the system could help prevent the local bird’s nest industry from being tainted by lower quality products.

“This system is still in the trial stage but we believe that once it is fully applied, it will help consumers to differentiate between fake and genuine bird’s nest easily,” he said, adding that currently, only chemical tests could determine the authenticity of the product.

Chua said this during the commercial launch of the tracking system, which was developed by the Veterinary Services Department, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission together with the Customs Department and the China Inspection and Quarantine unit here yesterday. Chua explained that recently, there have been concerns, especially from China, pertaining to substandard bird’s nest products from Malaysia.

Clamping down on fakes: Chua (left) posing with the tracking device. With him are (L-R) Department of Veterinary Livestock Commodity Development director Dr Fadzilah Aini, Yong Peng assemblyman Lim Kee Moi and project chairman Yow Lock Sen.

“Most of the time, these products had been adulterated, were fake or sold by some other country and labelled as Malaysian products,” he said, adding that this was the main reason for the introduction of the tracking system.

“The system basically includes a radio frequency identification device which allows users to track the product to the original source of production,” he said. He added that the Government had no immediate plans to make the system compulsory for bird’s nest farmers but many were already showing interest.

Group: Getting zero nitrite level in bird’s nest impossible

By WINNIE YEOH
winnie@thestar.com.my

GEORGE TOWN: It is not possible to get zero nitrite level in bird's nest as it is a naturally occurring chemical, Malaysian Federation of Bird's Nest Merchant Associations secretary Carole Loh said.

“Moreover, the World Health Organisation allows 30 parts per million of nitrite, which is widely used as a preservative in foodstuff.

“Nitrite can also find its way into the bird's nest during the cleaning stage as the use of reverse osmosis water has been found to increase the nitrite level,” she said.

Loh, who is also president of Association for Swiftlet Nests Industry of Penang, said China had banned Malaysian bird's nest in early July after it was found to contain nitrite.

“We are urging the Federal Government to hold talks with the Chinese government.

“We are hoping for a government-to-government talk as soon as possible as the export of bird's nest is a multi-million ringgit industry,” she said.

Loh said federation members also recently met up with Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Deputy Minister Chua Tee Yong in Putrajaya over the matter.

“In the meantime, birdhouse operators have been advised to take precautions and reduce nitrite traces in bird's nests by using effective microorganism water solution in the houses.

“Operators also have to keep the birdhouses clean and follow the guidelines given by the Veterinary Department.”

“Blood nest” a much sought-after variety of bird's nest was also banned after it was found to be tainted with chemicals.

Two local bird's nest manufacturers were ordered to cease operations last year for adding nitrates from artificial red colouring to produce “blood nest”.

Chua had said their unethical practice was discovered after the ministry received complaints from China importers.

Bird's nest is among the most expensive animal products consumed by humans and has been used in Chinese cooking for over 400 years, mostly as bird's nest soup.