Stricter rules on Edible Bird Nest in Malaysia

Some 60,000 swiftlet ranchers are expected to be affected by the stricter safety regulations imposed by Malaysia's Veterinary Services Department on the export of raw, unclean Edible Bird Nest.

Coalition of Swiftlet Edible Bird Nest Ranches Malaysia chairman Allan Ho said the local Code of Veterinary Practice was looking to adopt different microbiological and chemical parameters as part of the standards for clean and raw unclean Edible Bird Nest.

"Chinese authorities pointed out that both clean and raw unclean Edible Bird Nests are lumped under one single specification although these are distinctively different.

"This means that raw unclean Edible Bird Nest comprising 95 per cent of the country's production to China will see little likelihood of export in the near future," he said in a statement here yesterday.

Stricter rules on Edible Bird Nest in Malaysia

The strict regulations, said Ho, would further burden the ranchers who had patiently waited for over three years to get clearance from China.

China had banned the imports following the discovery of high levels of nitrite in clean Malaysian Edible Bird Nest in July 2011.

The ban had hit the country's swiftlet industry hard as China was reported to be the biggest importer of Edible Bird Nest products with an annual trading value of about RM1bil.

However, it was reported that China had since lifted its freeze, with approval granted to nine Malaysian companies.

Agriculture and Agro-based Indus-try Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob had said that the General Administration of Quality Supervis­ion, Inspection and Quarantine of the People's Republic of China (Aqsiq) deemed the nine companies to have earned a "conditional pass" on the quality of their products.

Ho said since the incident of "fake" Edible Bird Nest erupted in China in 2009, ranchers had been subjected to a seemingly endless wait on the green light to export.

"Any unnecessary further delay on the export of raw unclean Edible Bird Nest will seriously aggravate the financial position of ranchers in the country," he said.

The final draft of the safety code for raw unclean Edible Bird Nest, said Ho, had been completed and was currently being displayed for public review for the second time until Oct 19.

About Edible Bird Nest - Nutritional Value

Edible Bird Nest has been regarded as the most precious natural nourishment and health product and it has been considered as a precious item by aristocrats of the royal household in the Tang Dynasty in China . It was not until the Ming Dynasty that it became a treasure used as tributes by minor South East Asian countries, thus its name “Gong Yan (Tribute Edible Bird Nest) or “Guan Yan (Official Edible Bird Nest). Today, the production rate of Edible Bird Nest has become more stable and it has become a common commodity with nutritional values recommended by both Chinese physicians and Western doctors.

Chinese medicine:

From the Chinese medicine point of view, Edible Bird Nest principally fortifies the lungs, stomach and kidneys. In addition, its mild and sweet taste which is not heaty or cold, benefits the fortification of qi, nourishes the lungs, beautifies skin, tranquillizes and promotes sleep, nourishes the spleen, upgrades appetite, dissolves phlegm and stops coughs.
It has been recorded in the “Ben Cao Gang Mu” that Edible Bird Nest is an excellent medicine for nourishing the lungs, dissolving phlegm, stopping cough, replenishing nourishment, clearing the body and regulating physical weakness”. “Its ability to penetrate the lungs promotes the movement of qi and penetration of the kidneys promotes movement of water, while tranquillizing the stomach making it the most ideal food. The consumption of Edible Bird Nest stewed with rock sugar is effective in the regulation of physical weakness, cough and phlegm containing strands of blood. However, this is only suitable for those in the initial stage of such problems. If body heat is in excess and the flow of blood has reversed, this method may not be useful anymore.”

Western medicine:

From the nutritional point of view based on Western medicine, Edible Bird Nest is rich in proteins, amino acids, carbohydrates, phosphorous, iron, calcium and potassium which are able to strengthen resistance of the human body. Proteins effectively promote the growth, renewal and repair of cells while helping muscles to contract, aid in the transportation of nutrients and also oxidation. Proteins are made of more than 20 types of amino acids in which 18 of them are found in Edible Bird Nest. Out of these, 7 are essential amino acids. As Edible Bird Nest contain many different types of essential amino acids, and are rich in them, it has been nicknamed an excellent perfect protein.

Proteins found in Edible Bird Nest consist of Glycoprotein and Epidermal Growth Factors.

Epidermal Growth Factors stimulates the growth of skin and they are able to stimulate cell fission, promote regenerative power of body tissues, accelerate body metabolism, promote healing of wounds and also strengthen oxygen affinity in cells and resist ageing. This will fortify the immunity of the body and increase resistance of the body towards damage caused by X-rays and other radiation, making it the best health and beauty product for modern living.