Hong Kong food inspection firms urged to profit from mainland China food scares

Food scares please nobody, but safety concerns about foodstuffs from the mainland could prove to be a lucrative business opportunity for Hong Kong inspection companies.

The US rejected 23 per cent more shipments of food and cosmetic products from mainland China in the first six months of this year than it did in the same period in 2012.

According to the US Food and Drug Administration, that meant 2,488 shipping containers were turned back at US ports, up from 2,015 last year.

Among the rejected products were salmonella-infected frozen rabbits, unclean flounder fillets and melamine-laced custard buns. Most of the products did not come with any proof of laboratory analysis.

Now, a study by the Bauhinia Foundation Research Centre has recommended that Hong Kong inspection firms tap the food safety market, which it says has considerable growth potential.

"Hong Kong's testing and certification industry has a trustworthy reputation as well as rich expertise to support local importers," the report said.

There are signs that the industry is growing, but perhaps not fast enough to exploit the market's full potential.