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Q: Mainlanders buying dairy products in HK, why?
I saw some in City'Super today, buying regular (cow) milk and products made with cow milk, but no soymilk or almond milk.
Knowing that almost every Asian people (especially in China, Japan and Korea) are lactose intolerant, why do the Mainlanders keep buying regular cow milk instead of almond, soy or else milk?
Do they think that drinking cow milk will make them tolerant on the long term or that they will look more European or some other stupid belief that only China know how to spread?
It is because China has incredibly crappy dairy products. The cows are pumped full of antibiotics and fed shit. Look at the calcium contents of mainland milk, it is half that of real milk.
Those who go to HK for milk, are probably the sensible mainlanders !
In 2008, there was a company, Sanlu, who managed to sell milk toxic to babies. It scared quite a few people. Chinese don't trust their nation and fellow countrymen to do the right thing. So, when in HK, it's a good time to buy milk, sounds more reliable to them.
In fact right now there is a cap on how much milk powder you can bring out of Hong Kong with serious punishments for going over. It's like Heroin! You can go to prison for it!
At my office there is a list of new+expectant mothers/fathers so when somebody gets sent down to HK you can do somebody a solid and grab them some powder formula.
Scandinavian:
And actually, at the border between Macau and China, there are no display cabinets with "what not to bring" milk is represented. As a funny thing. They are showing Australian milk packages, I always buy European, so I guess the import ban doesn't apply to those.
Scandinavian:
Oh, if you want to do someone a solid, thell them there will be enough milk from the mother as long as they don't follow the advice from the medical staff that gets salary from the milk powder thugs.
expatlife26:
Agreed 100% Scan. I think companies like Carnation etc do a great job of convincing aspirant mothers in developing countries that it's trashy to breastfeed.
It's completely absurd to pay for a synthetic version of what your body makes an ideal version for free.
I've got a few friends back home have had kids in the last couple years and not one of them is a formula household.
It's completely ridiculous...brazil is much the same way and I would imagine lots of other countries with a new middle class, but still massive poverty to differentiate yourself from, are incredibly vulnerable to that type of nonsense.
Scandinavian:
In China, the milk formula thing is in large due to mis-information and lack of education, and the good old problem that people trust anyone in a doctors uniform.
It is a very small percentage of women that will not have enough milk.
I could yap on about the benefits of breastfeeding, but will not, actually formula is not that bad. And you are wrong, it is not synthetic, it is fortified cows milk. Basically cows milk with the fat/calcium contents adjusted and added vitamins.
expatlife26:
no worries scan, im not some breast feeding evangelist. I'm sure formula works just fine.
It's just laughable the consumer ignorance in the face of such sky high costs relative to income.
That being said, somebody wants it i'm not going to give a parent a lecture on why they're wrong...that'll just make them dislike me. Happy to pick some up for them where I can.
Scandinavian:
I try not to educate people too much on what they do, but specifically things that has to do with kids, I don't give a shit about being polite to my host country
http://www.havingababyinchina.com/reference/breastfeeding-a-baby-in-china/
expatlife26:
im no China apologist either, I don't worry about offending random idiots about their stupid beliefs.
But I do feel compelled to be civil and polite to my coworkers. Just good form.
Cantonese especially dont trust anything chinese so go to HK for everything they can.
My wifes parents buy all shampoo, body wash, toothpaste and vitamins in HK.
Yet het aunts and cousins are from HK and try to buy all meats and vegetables in China, as its cheaper.
Wierd how that works.
You could try to find a young relative between 16-25 and try and try to get her in as an aupair or on a student visa. Long shots all the way around.
