Editorial | Safety comes first in Hong Kong stink over ‘local’ tofu
- Demise of city favourite makes it only too clear food producers must move with times and ensure items comply with law and are safe to eat
There must be something special for a food brand to last for more than a century. In the case of home-grown Liu Ma Kee, whose fermented bean curd has tickled the taste buds of many Hongkongers for generations, it is a mix of heritage, reputation and quality.
Alas, the “Made in Hong Kong” tofu myth was dispelled after a series of government food safety checks thrust its dubious manufacturing process into the spotlight and led to the demise of the legendary household name.
The abrupt end of the near 120-year-old brand resonates across Chinese society, not just because of nostalgia over the loss of “a distinctly Hong Kong ingredient”.
Adding to the drama is how a food scare triggered by a routine safety check quickly escalated into a war of words over the tests between Liu Ma Kee and authorities. It eventually led to the revelation that the tofu had been brought from the mainland for further processing here over the past 30 years – a finding described as scandalous and treacherous by loyal customers.
The apologies from Jay Liu Fong-yip, the fourth generation of the family business, may have taken the heat out of the controversy. He said the shop was forced to import bean curd for further processing after the tightening of sewage regulations made it impossible to manufacture locally.
