Historic Hong Kong tofu brand admits importing bean curd from China after food safety checks expose origin
Hong Kong Free Press
A century-old Hong Kong fermented tofu brand has admitted that its bean curd was not made locally but came from mainland China after failed food safety checks thrust the company into the spotlight.
Jay Liu, the fourth-generation owner of Liu Ma Kee, said on a radio show on Monday that the raw materials were from a factory in the mainland. He said brand ceased manufacturing plain tofu in Hong Kong and turned to a supplier across the border after authorities began enforcing an updated sewage ordinance 30 years ago.
The brand, which was founded in 1905, has been promoted by the Tourism Board as selling fermented tofu that is a “distinctly Hong Kong ingredient.” It announced last Thursday that it was closing down after the Centre for Food Safety said it had failed two bacteria tests.
Speaking to reporters after the radio show, Liu said the factory they worked with in mainland China was run by somebody who used to do their manufacturing in Hong Kong.
“We did not hide [anything]… we have never said we are made in Hong Kong,” Liu said in Cantonese. He added that customers who come to their store would see their tofu in the works, including the bean curd being stir fried.
When asked why the brand had never clarified to customers that the raw materials were not from Hong Kong, Liu said: “We have already closed down. Do we really need to clarify?”
Liu declined to say where in China the factory was, or whether the tofu had come from mainland China for the past 30 years.
His comments came after the Centre for Food Safety said in a press conference on Saturday that the company used tofu supplied from a factory, and did the packaging and seasoning in Hong Kong.
Food safety tests
Liu’s confirmation was the latest development in a saga that began when his mother said in a recent interview with TVB that the Centre for Food Safety’s checks had brought the family “hell.” She said the brand’s reputation had been tarnished overnight after the Centre for Food Safety published a press release saying that tests had found 1.3 times excess bacteria in their tofu.
Days later, the Centre for Food Safety published another press release saying a follow-up test had again found excess bacteria in their tofu – this time exceeding the standard by 13 times.
Both the mother and son accepted media interviews saying that the Centre of Food Safety’s version of events had not painted an accurate picture. They said the sample that had exceeded bacteria standards by 13 times was not for sale and was made only for food safety officers to test. They added that it was made after advice from the officers on how to make fermented tofu that met standards.
But the Centre for Food Safety said in a statement on Thursday, and in the press conference on Saturday, that officers do not identify themselves while purchasing products for testing. The centre also said it did not instruct the company how to make fermented tofu, and only educated them on cleaning and disinfection practices after an inspection found that hygiene was not up to standard.
After suggesting that the safety checks were the reason for the shop’s closure, Liu on Monday struck a more moderate tone. He apologised to the Centre for Food Safety multiple times, saying he had overreacted earlier, and that the brand’s shutdown was “completely not related” to the centre’s findings.
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