WE ALL KNOW the world can be a dangerous place with the mix of pesticides, chemicals, additives and general pollutants that have become a part of our environment.
The good news is that scientific advances and new processes have made it easier to test everything we come into contact with, which has led to a professional sector that offers expert analysis and certification services.
Stories about vegetables contaminated with pesticides and chemicals being used in fish farming have hit the headlines recently. Such news items have put product-testing services in the spotlight and focused attention on the array of tests and certificates available to guarantee quality or commercial reliability.
China Dragon Inspection and Certification (HK) is one of many companies now engaged in such work. It specialises in testing to verify labels for toys, cosmetics, food, chemicals and certain hazardous items. Much of the work involves mainland imports and exports.
'Many brand-name companies around the world want to export to China,' said technical director Andy Ko Kwok-on. 'They appoint us to test for and list the nutritional and chemical content of products, and provide accurate labels with relevant details.'
Much of the day-to-day work involves resolving linguistic and cultural differences.
