Prized in China for
is alleged health benefits for hundreds of years, nests made from swiftlets'
saliva are being mixed into coffee and cereal as the Southeast Asian producers
of the delicacy seek to broaden its appeal, and their profit margins.
The nests are among the world's most
expensive foods, selling for up to US$2,500 (S$3,400) a kg and the swiftlets
that weave them are indigenous to Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.
China consumes almost 90 per cent of
all Birds Spit Soups, traditionally eaten in soup, creating an industry that
last year recorded US$5 billion in sales and which executives expect to double
by 2020.
Companies such as Malaysia's
Swiftlet Eco Park, one of the country's largest developers of swiftlet houses,
want bigger gains by expanding their product line and market beyond China,
where importers can often dictate the price.
"Ask anybody in the industry
where is your market and they'll say China and Hong Kong. Everybody is going
there," said Group Managing Director Loke Yeu Loong. "We are looking
at new markets, but if I sell raw Birds Spit Soup to Europe or India, they
don't even know how to cook it."
Swiftlet Eco makes coffee, skin
care, puddings and candies with Birds Spit Soup. Loke declined to give specific
sales figures but said the profit margin on some of these products was 10 times
more than the raw nests.
The company is also spending big on
marketing Birds Spit Soup as a health food in the Middle East, Europe and the
United States and plans to raise about $30 million through an initial public offering
and New York listing in the third quarter of this year.
Southeast Asian swiftlets' nests are
particularly popular in the Lunar New Year festivities, which began in China
last week, and are believed to be rich in nutrients that can help digestion, raise
libido and improve the immune system.
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| Bird spit coffee from Malaysia? |
Malaysia is the world's largest
producer of raw nests after Indonesia.
Lee Kong Heng, president of the
Malaysian Federation of Birds Spit Soup Traders Association, says marketing Birds
Spit Soup as a supplement would attract younger, wealthier and more
health-conscious consumers worldwide.
Vietnam's largest Birds Spit Soup
producer Yen Viet Joint Stock Co. is also keen to play up the benefits of the
delicacy. The company makes cereals and porridge and is investing into scientific
research in a bid to increase global sales, said Chief Executive Dang Pham Minh
Loan.
Malaysian Birds Spit Soup producers
are well placed to market to the majority Muslim Middle East because the nests
are halal, or a food permissible under Islam, Swiftlet Eco Park's Loke said.
With more research, he hopes Birds
Spit Soup will become a global phenomenon. "We can conduct research and
prove the benefit of consuming Birds Spit Soup scientifically," he said.
Girl,
6, reaches puberty early because frequently drank Birds Spit Soup
Sin Chew Daily reported that a
six-year-old girl from Zhejiang, China, was found to have matured sexually
after her mother frequently fed her sweet Birds Spit Soup and other
supplements.
The mother, known as Lee, discovered
earlier this year that a small bulge had developed under her daughter's
nipples.
She also discovered bloodstains when
washing the girl's panties earlier this month, which prompted her to take her to
a doctor.
An examination concluded that the
girl had reached puberty early because of excessive nutrient intake.
Lee said she was health-conscious
and would boil Birds Spit Soup, honey and other supplements with chicken wings
for herself.She said she usually gave her daughter a small share because she
enjoyed it and thought it would be good for her health.
Doctors pointed out that excessive
nutrient intake could have affected the child's hormone system and accelerated
the development of her secondary sexual characteristics.
CNY
cheer for Birds Spit Soup exporters
There is good news for Birds Spit
Soup exporters as China officially lifts its ban on the import of the product
from Malaysia.
Although only eight companies were
given the approval to export Birds Spit Soup, local industry players have
described the decision as the best Chinese New Year gift.
Describing the move as timely in
view of the upcoming celebrations, Federation of Malaysia Birds Spit Soup
Merchant Association president Datuk Tok Teng Sai said that for local players,
the lifting of the ban would end the long uncertainty on the fate of the
industry.
Tok also urged local players to
treasure the approval by being honest.
"The fact that China only
allows Birds Spit Soup from Malaysia into their country should not be taken for
granted. They trust us and with that comes the responsibility to protect
Malaysia's name," he said.
Earlier yesterday, Agriculture and
Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said Malaysia was
the only country given the approval to export Birds Spit Soup to China.
The approval letter from China's
General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine
(AQSIQ) was received on Dec 25.
He said the eight companies were
from nine which were granted a "conditional pass" to export the
delicacy to the republic in June last year.
"It is not easy to pass China's
stringent requirements. Since March last year, 15 companies had applied for the
approval and nine were given the conditional pass.
"After further auditing by the
authorities in China, only eight companies fulfilled the requirements," he
told a press conference here yesterday.
Ismail Sabri said the approval was
for Raw-clean Edible Birds Spit Soup (Birds Spit Soup) and the first
consignment was expected to leave for China soon.
He said a ceremony to be attended by
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak would be held to mark the special
occasion.
