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.