When it comes to milk powder in China, it’s always a hard choice.
Shui Li is the mother of a 2-year-old. She’s never given her child domestic milk powder. "I’m kinda worried about the milk source and its formula. I don’t trust the domestic milk powder products," Shui said.
But a recent report should give her some reassurance. Random tests were conducted on 25 milk powder brands sold in Beijing and the capitals of nearby provinces. The results indicate that all 16 of the domestic products met national nutrition standards. But three of the nine imported products failed.
"We took samples from the most popular domestic brands, which I think should have accounted for about 80 percent of the market share. The results for newborn formulas are better than for the imported ones," said the president of National Dairy Association, Song Kungang.
But Shui Li still isn’t convinced. "I’ve heard that report, too. But as things are now, I would still choose the imported milk powder. I need more time for observation whether to let my baby have domestic milk powder," she said.
Regaining consumer confidence won’t be an easy task, but producers are still trying. Many have set up in-house safety management systems and are trying to revitalize the domestic formula industry.
All parents want the best for their children. The key to winning back the market is for domestic formula producers to get parents on their side.