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

by terroir Posted on March 11, 2013

bottle feed baby

Are you a new mother in mainland China with a baby to feed?  Are you inundated with a case of “too much information” and don’t know where to start regarding the most valued commodity in China – baby milk powder formula?  Then believe the hype and keep continuing with this – the 2013 China consumer guide to buying milk formula in Hong Kong!

Part two deals with gauging the quality of various products, while the final part three will deal with specific tips on buying milk powder in Hong Kong and bringing it over the border.

[part one here]

From Sohu Baby:

[ranking the best baby milk powder products]

1. Abbott (Laboratories)

The current recipe for Abbott milk powder products sold in Hong Kong, the United States and Europe is a new one for each of these markets; they include the new ingredient SA (sialic acid, an important agent for promoting growth in the cerebellum). However, the Abbott milk powder products sold in the mainland Chinese market uses an old US formula that dates back to 1993, a situation that in recent years has gradually improved.

In theory, the world’s best milk formula comes from Holland. However, batches are not all the same and don’t necessarily appear under the same conditions. If you have the means to buy milk powder from Hong Kong, then you should do whatever you can to go there and do so.  Be aware that the formula for Abbott products sold on the Chinese market lags behind the US market by ten years.

Price Reference: Stage 1 – $258 HKD; Stage 2 – $225 HKD; Stage 3 – $199 HKD; Stage 4 – $162.9 HKD; PediaSure Complete: $231 HKD; PediaSure Complete (Protected & Enriched) – $202 HKD. Purchase policy: unlimited purchases from large scale supermarkets

Friso (China)

Friso milk formula products sold in China do not contain SA (sialic acid) when compared to those sold in Hong Kong. Additionally, the protein content in both formulae is not the same. The formula has been adjusted in the Hong Kong and US market, whereas no adjustment has taken place in the mainland. In terms of price, the cost of Friso products in mainland China is much more expensive than that in Hong Kong due to high manufacturing costs. (For example, Beingmate retails at a cost of 160 (RMB) but surprisingly sells at the low wholesale cost of 40 yuan).

Price Reference: Stage 1 – $245 HKD; Stage 2 – $212 HKD; Stage 3 – $188 HKD; Stage 4 – $152. Purchase policy: unlimited purchases from large scale supermarkets

3. Wyeth

Wyeth milk formula is sweeter and richer than other milk formula products. If your baby prefers formula with a lighter taste, you can always try a formula that is not as heavy.  There are two kinds of Wyeth products: either imported or domestic.  Wyeth SMA Gold, Promil Gold, and Progress Gold are all imported milk formula products. These are all good products, but have a tendency to cause diarrhea in its infant consumers that are lacking in “qi energy“; because Wyeth products are manufactured via a baking process, this may cause an overbalance in the qi energy of babies. Domestic Wyeth products made in China do not stand up to superior competition, but are still better than some domestic-made milk formula.

Price Reference: Stage 1 – $258 HKD; Stage 2 – $225.5 HKD; Stage 3 – $199 HKD; Stage 4 $162.9 HKD; PE Gold – $201.5 HKD. Purchase policy: unlimited purchases from large scale supermarkets. Condition of supplies: large supermarkets are amply well-stocked

Mead Johnson Nutritionals

The protein lactalbumin found in Mead Johnson milk formula is not as abundant as that found in other milk formula, but still contains a reasonable amount. Consuming Mead Johnson formula may cause an excess of “qi energy” heat imbalance. Mead Johnson products are suitable for infants who have a tendency to be low in “qi energy”, but infants that are comparatively dry and not hydrated should switch to another brand.

Price Reference: Stage 1 – $274.9; Stage 2 – $241.8; Stage 3 – $215 HKD; Stage 4 – $176.7 HKD. Purchase policy: Mannings, Watsons, Park N’ Shop, Wellcome and other large supermarkets have all imposed limits upon the purchase of these products: every shopper is limited to purchasing 3 cans a day.

5. Meiji

Meiji is the most sought after milk formula for mainland fathers and mothers. According to friends in the know, 90% of Meiji milk powder is almost identical to human milk; it isn’t likely to cause constipation or an over-balance of “qi energy” and is most suitable for Asian infants to consume. However, neither franchise supermarkets nor franchise drugstores carry this brand. There are two kinds of Meiji milk products:  infant milk powder suitable for infants from 0-9 months as well as toddler milk powder for children 9 months to 2 years of age.

Products sold in supermarket chains can be 20% more expensive than chain drugstores with prices costing about 160 to 180 [currency undetermined]; in a large mall, the price can elevate upwards to about 220 [currency undetermined]. The most expensive Meiji milk powder product sold in Hong Kong is as an import brought in through official channels; on front of the can there is a Chinese label pasted on top. If this product is sold at a cheaper price, it is usually because it is a smuggled good and did have have to be affixed with the appropriate taxes and tarrifs; as such, there is no Chinese label on it. 8 cans will be able to feed a baby or toddler for approximately more than 2 months.

Price Reference: Bright Boy – $220 HKD; Big Boy – $182.9 HKD. Purchase policy: unlimited purchases from large scale supermarkets. Condition of supplies: large supermarkets are amply well-stocked. Sales promotion: Buying two cans of Meiji Big Boy milk formula will give a discount of $38 HKD.

[Frequently Asked Questions]

Q: Can you tell the manufacturing country of origin from the bar code? A: No. There is no specific correlation between the bar code on a milk formula product and its place of origin.

According to a person belonging to a department of inspection responsible for milk formula products: “The prefix numerals upon a bar code refer to the country that is is registered in and not necessarily the country it was manufactured in.” Therefore, using a bar code to determine the manufacturing origin for a milk powder product is not exact even if the country of origin for some milk powder products is the same as the registered country. The country of registry simply means that some products have applied for a bar code in a specific country, and does not show the manufacturing country of origin.

As well, according to the “Bar Code Management Procedures for Commercial Goods” regulations for China, it is legal for foreign goods to either use newly affixed Chinese bar codes or to use their own bar codes as implemented in their original country of origin.

[To be concluded in part three]

Share
This entry was posted in Media Feed, The More You Know and tagged , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.
  • http://soundcloud.com/starhawk-1 Little Wolf

    This post is kind of difficult to comment on and my brain can’t wrap around that Chinese haven’t figured out that there is a market for “safe” milk formula and they could make more money by making a good quality product instead of trying to increase profits by adding cheap, poisonous fillers.

    So I’m just going to post a diagram of a vagina instead. Because ultimately, isn’t this what it’s all about? Milk factory managers trying to increase profits so they can have more money for Audis and LV handbags which eventually will enable them to enjoy more vagina. Or….say you you’ve just met a girl whose older sister just had a baby and knows you’re heading abroad on business and asks you to bring back some milk formula. And you do so, even buying the milk powder with your own money, like a chump, because you might get rewarded with some vagina.

    • http://sinopathic.com/ terroir

      I’m more accustomed to the “cow head” diagram of the ovaries, but okay.

      Maybe I haven’t been clear enough: there is a shortage of milk powder in China not because you can’t buy it in the stores, but because the usual route of buying milk powder has been more or less locked up [see the first milk powder story here]. So though you can buy milk powder in China, no one buys it. Well, at least no one with smarts/money — because either its imported and too expensive (as compared to buying it in Hong Kong), or is domestic and terrible.

      Chinese domestic milk plants (no, I’m not talking about MILFs) can’t get a break because consumer confidence in them is completely shattered. Chinese imported milk plants (foreign cougars?) have an overhead that is too high for the average consumer, despite all their “laowai-ness”. So, Chinese prefer to go to such lengths of flying to another country/Hong Kong to save, like, 20 kuai or whatever. Because: saving!

      We should also note that many years back, as China is a great place for opportunity, some brilliant (airquotes) entrepeneurs decided to make fake baby powder that had no nutritional value for the baby: they more it ate, the less it was nourished. Many babies died. The entrepeneurs were jailed and put to death, I imagine.

      • mr.wiener

        Maybe Paul Mc Cartney’s weird one legged ex wife was on to something after all?

        http://vegetarianstar.com/tag/heather-mills/

        Meat is murder and apparently butter is burglary so she was advocating human breast milk for ice cream , cheese and such. Since there isn’t much room for dairy farms in Asia, this could be the next big cottage industry with collectors going door to door and mums staying at home and working :)

        • http://sinopathic.com/ terroir

          I’ve heard of foodie culture experimenting with this; apparently some high-class eateries have used human milk for cheese and such. Don’t know how it tastes, but then foodies are nuts over that berry that makes people lose their taste for sourness.

          Still, there is a public perception that cow milk is better than human milk. That it’s more clean. But I don’t see human females wanting to be attached to milk pumps all day long.

          Well, unless there is a ball gag and a St Andrew’s cross involved.

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

          Kind of like the scene in “Borat” with the senator eating these cheese from Borat’s wife’s breast milk.

        • http://sinopathic.com/ terroir

          Ah, back when Sasha was relevant and his humor had a point. I nearly hurt myself laughing over the naked fight.

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

          Naked fight was just about the funniest thing ever. I don’t think I ever laughed so hard in my life. But come on….Bruno was pretty funny and “Dictator” had it’s moments. I read that he will star in the movie about Freddy Mercury and I think he is going to be outstanding in that role.

        • http://sinopathic.com/ terroir

          “Dictator” was terrible. I was embarrassed by the few seconds that managed to sear my eyeballs.

          I like the guy and want his movies to be good, they just aren’t. He’s pretty good in other stuff that he shows up in (that racing Will Ferrell vehicle, Hugo), he’s just lost it since Bruno. The end of the “Dictator” is great, but it isnt’ worth all the masturbation and sexist jokes inbetween.

          It just gets me down to think that so many actresses auditioned for the lead role.

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

        Yes….I was here during the big milk scandal and believe that I was in fact a victim,although I can’t really prove it and nobody’s going to pay me even 1 kuai for it. But I was going through a bulking up, muscle-building phase and ate little food, existing mostly on milk powder, Red Bull and banana smoothies (my own special blend) for about 6 weeks. Protein powder that you buy in a gym is basically the same as milk powder you buy in a supermarket for a fraction of the price. I ended up with 4 gallstones the size of dice, 1 of which punctured a bowel and became abscessed sending my body into a brain-melting fever and forced to endure a level of pain I can only describe as getting kicked in the nuts by a mule, only my nuts extended up to my chest. Unlike getting kicked in the nuts, the pain didn’t disappear after a few minutes and continued for 17 hours. I was denied any morphine or painkillers whatsoever and had there been a window in that room(5th floor) I would have hurled myself out to end my suffering. I was finally rescued by a friend who took me to another hospital where doctors took 1 look at me and rushed me into surgery just moments before an agonizing demise. Fuck those so-called doctors at that first hospital. Fuck that hospital, which if it were in the USA I would own it now. I don’t get shook up too easily anymore, having endured a level of pain that I dare say not many people will ever deal have to deal with.

        When the milk scandal happened just a short time later, I put 2 and 2 together and find it easy to entertain the suspicion that melamine-tainted milk powder was probably involved. I still dread the thought of any babies having to suffer the level of agony I never would have imagined.

        A strange thing I remember from the ordeal is that (besides the pain) my body felt like milk powder tastes. I don’t know how else to explain it.

        • http://sinopathic.com/ terroir

          That sucks. Why were you denied painkillers? It’d make the hospital more money and you’d be more manageable.

          You’ve got a story for everything. Man.

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

          Not really sure. Later after my surgery at the other hospital I was given shots of Demerol for just 5 kuai a pop though I could barely contain myself from choking that doctor’s weasel neck despite that he had saved my life the day before with the whole “westerners have a lower pain threshold than Chinese”. I’m certain it was a political thing and a ploy to make me leave and go elsewhere to become somebody else’s problem. It’s alot of trouble if a foreigner dies in your hospital. Added to the fact that Chinese doctors are stingy about giving painkillers to begin with. I still will never get an explanation and seriously….that hospital is absolutely guilty of criminal negligence at the very least and this will always be a source of anger and bitteness for the rest of my life. Bitch spills hot coffee on her lap and gets 20 million bucks from McDonalds.

          On a positive note…..my best friend in China (who sang with me last week with Imogene Heap on a song for her new album….stay tuned) revealed a level of friendship and loyalty I never expected in this life. Stayed and slept at my bedside for a week, changing the IV bags and other fluids….went to my house to feed my dogs, and clean up the piss and shit since they were unable to go out. And just left a couple hours to go home and take a nap and deal with his own business. I would take a bullet for that guy.

        • mr.wiener

          “westerners have a lower pain threshold than Chinese”.

          I think he actually meant you get in more trouble if you kill a westerner rather than a Chinese person , or westerners are used to a certain level of service and tend to complain when they don’t get it.
          I bet the little prick had never had a sick day in his life.

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

          @terroir and wiener:

          Frankly I’m surprised that you haven’t heard this line before. I know several guys that have been told this over the years. And I’ve been told with a straight face that they can’t give me a prescription for other medications because “You’ll get addicted” Well….as a former heroin addict, I know a few things about addiction. And it takes more than a box of Percocet to make an addict. (maybe a box every couple of days for a month should cause some concern) Look, doc….if I’m looking to get high I can find street drugs…even in China. In the US, I could go to almost any town with 20 bucks, not know a single person and find a fix within half an hour. Chinese are phobic against narcotics to the point that terminal cancer patients would rather suffer than take their morphine for fear of addiction(There was an article about it in China Daily a few days ago, but I can’t find it) Doctors that prescribe opiates are labeled as quacks in the Chinese medical community.

          All right, China tuffies….how come when I bump into you, you act like I just stabbed you in the gut? I’ve always prided myself in being able to endure hardship as a personal challenge. Toughing things out, playing with pain, walking it off.
          But that ordeal with the gallstones was beyond anything I ever imagined. Every minute was a challenge to make it to the next minute.

          I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t wish it on anybody. There are alot of people I wish to experience that kind of agony. Starting with the ER doctor at #2 Hospital. Sometimes there is nothing better than a good grudge :-)

        • http://sinopathic.com/ terroir

          “westerners have a lower pain threshold than Chinese”

          I’m trying to imagine a condescending tone from a pedantic argument that the pain that you were feeling is attributed to your culture.
          Then, I try to imagine that this guy is really devoted to his job and spent and hour with you trying to convince you as you yelled back.

          If I could develop a new “Odd Couple” series, I’d start with this.