The 2013 Mainland China Strategy Guide to Buying Milk Formula in Hong Kong – Part One

by terroir Posted on March 6, 2013
milk powder scandal
This is what Smaug would use as a nest in China 2013

Are you a mother living in mainland China with an infant in need of milk powder?   Do you want to know the best way to being able to buy the best baby formula at the lowest cost?  Do you want to beat the system?  Well, this guide is for you: everything you need to know about the best way to buy milk formula in China — how to go to Hong Kong and score milk powder for cheap!

[part two is here]

From Sohu Baby:

The 2013 [Mainland] Strategy Guide to Buying Milk Powder in Hong Kong

These days, mothers in the interior of China all love to travel to Hong Kong to purchase milk formula powder. Why do they prefer to buy milk formula in Hong Kong? What is the best way of purchasing good quality milk formula? Our suggestions are listed below.

Q: Why does one need to go to Hong Kong to purchase milk formula? A: Because there is a difference between milk formula that comes from Hong Kong and that which comes from the mainland!

The same brand and make of milk formula sold in Hong Kong is not the same as its counterpart sold in China; even the very quality of this product may be different. Everybody knows that the milk powder imported into mainland China is of inferior quality. However, because Hong Kong and Taiwan implement higher standards that equal that of the European Union, the United States and Canada, the products imported here are of better quality. As a result, factories will conform to higher standards for the Hong Kong market, but will ship inferior goods to mainland China.

For example: the milk formula produced by Abbott Laboratories called “Similac Advance HH” for sale in Hong Kong is not the same as the milk formula “Similac with High Q+ Shield” that is sold in mainland China; not only are the manufacturing country of origin and ingredients different, but the outward appearance of the actual formula is different as well (eg coarseness of grain, coloring, proclivity to foam,having a crisp and dry outward appearance  or one that is damp etc).

Many well-intentioned domestic milk formula enterprises have signed agreements with international milk formula producers that don’t fully advertise their relationship, thus not encroaching upon the trust of consumers. These include Topfer/Tofer/Toepher, Friso and Nestle; as the former two abide by this policy, they are relatively lesser known. On the other hand, Nestle treats the Asian market in the same way it treats the European market; as it employs heavy use of advertisements, it enjoys a well-known reputation.

Q: Where is a good place to purchase milk formula in Hong Kong? A: Quality is guaranteed in large-scale supermarkets; however, it is cheaper to purchase in drugstores

Hong Kong has many franchise chain stores like Park N’ Shop, Wellcome, Watsons and Mannings. All of these stores have ample supplies of quality milk formula powder that meet the required high standards of the region. As well, many private drugstores also have milk formula for sale, and many times these prices are tens of Hong Kong dollars cheaper than the same products sold in the previously mentioned supermarkets.

There are no counterfeit goods in Hong Kong; all merchandise for sale is either smuggled and legitimate goods. All the same, this editor humbly suggests that it is most appropriate to purchase milk formula products at a legitimate chain supermarket. Because even though it may be the same brand, the milk formula product may be manufactured in another location.

For example, the drugstore may sell Mead Johnson milk formula that is manufactured in Thailand or Malaysia which are in fact more or less the same quality as milk products manufactured in China. On the other hand, milk formula sold in supermarkets is Holland-manufactured Mead Johnson products set for sale in the Hong Kong and Macao markets – precisely the kind of formula that mainland parents want to purchase.

Another advantage to buying the milk formula in these large Hong Kong supermarkets is that you will be able to directly use your mainland Union Pay bank card. The exchange rate is based upon the current daily rate, and using this card is much more convenient than paying with Hong Kong currency.

Q: How do the best quality milk formula products rank? A: Whether best quality or average quality, quality is guaranteed

Among the best quality milk formula products include: Friso, Abbott Gold brand (made in Holland/Denmark), Nutrilon (Hong Kong). Products of slightly lower quality include: Mead Johnson Gold brand, Wyeth Gold brand, Nestle NAN H.A., Dumex Nutrilon, and Milk Goat. Average quality milk formula products include: Yili Gold brand Complete Flavor Superior+, Synutra Superior Plenty, and the Japanese brands Meiji and Morinaga among others. Of special note are the products listed below:

[To be continued in part two]

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  • http://soundcloud.com/starhawk-1 Little Wolf

    Do not the the Chinese mother’s breastsesses contain milk? Is not mother’s milk still the healthiest for babies? Why is this such an issue? What did Chinese use before baby formula was invented? My mother flat out told me she put “Seconal” (a barbituate) in my milk at 6 PM sharp and I was down for the count until the next morning. Not just me but my 4 sisters and brother. After 6 was HER time. (I’m sure Brett understands) A girly-friend sent me this picture today…..look closely, 4th sentence on the left side. It’s relevant.

    (Sidebar for Brett) It’s Seconal. S-e-c-o-n-a-l. You’re welcome buddy.

    • mr.wiener

      My mother breast fed all 5 of us including my big brother who was a “biter” , “He likes a little blood in his milk” was the maternity nurses wry comment.
      Anyway my poor mother’s supply began to give out ,so she put my little brother on formula, since he used to howl a lot she told me she’d soak the nipple of the bottle with gin, worked nicely in putting him out. Another good practice I’ve heard of is having a pint of stout just before you breast feed, the booze gets straight into the milk, end result:sleeping baby. The even have a special stout made up for that in Australia “Abbott’s invalid Stoat: Good for convolecent patients and nursing mothers”. Good stuff, just like mother’s milk :P

      • http://soundcloud.com/starhawk-1 Little Wolf

        Yeah….I was gonna say….before people get all indignant with my mom….she didn’t just dream up the idea. It was common practice in those days handed down like my grandma’s recipe for tomato macaroni (still a family favorite). Kind of a twist on the Rolling Stones song “Mother’s Little Helper”. I’ve also heard things similar to your’s where booze is used. I suppose it goes without saying that we received minute, non-lethal doses.

        I’ve gone so far as to offer Valiums on long distance plane rides to mothers of ill-mannered baboons wrecking the journey for everybody in my section. Responses have ranged from absolute horror to relieved gratitude that I probably could have cashed in for oral sex if I wanted to get a blowjob in a stinky airline stall.

        For Terroir’s benefit I will add the following disclaimer:

        Sinopathic DOES NOT ENDORSE the practice of giving alcohol or narcotics to infants. That said,Sinopathic can attest that mr.wiener and Little Wolf have grown up to be strapping and handsome lads and don’t seem to be suffering any harmful effects except a desire to slide down giant waves in shark-infested waters.

        • http://sinopathic.com/ terroir

          Yes. Careful when you get hammered and nurse your baby, you may mistakenly get the bottles mixed up.

        • http://soundcloud.com/starhawk-1 Little Wolf

          Ah……I get it. You mean like hammerhead sharks and nurse sharks,right? So as not to get confused with the bottle-nose dolphins :-/

    • Brett

      Haha thanks bro. Seconal sounds like something I’d rather use on myself…. Or maybe on the wife (shhh)

      • http://sinopathic.com/ terroir

        “How much time until dinner? Wut, an hour?”
        [Who wants Seconal?]

        • Brett

          yo terroir, when’s part 2 coming out?

        • http://sinopathic.com/ terroir

          Sorry. I’ve been slumming it.

          I just haven’t been feeling motivated to do much of anything. So I need you guys to complain; it’s the internet way of “giving inspiration”.