BP Healthcare Group Ramps Up Food Testing Operations

KUALA LUMPUR, June 4 (Bernama) -- Malaysian healthcare provider, BP Healthcare Group, is stepping up its food diagnostics operations to meet consumer demand for safe food and regulatory reforms. This is in tandem with the growing awareness and market for food testing at home and abroad. BP Food Testing Sdn Bhd (BPFT), which is under the BP Healthcare Group of Companies, is already building a strong portfolio of clients. These include both domestic and multinational companies involved in food and beverage, palm oil, water dialysis and a host of other industries. BP Healthcare Deputy Chairman and also the Group's Finance and Investment Director, Chevy Beh said: "This is another growth area for the Group. "Since we started food testing services in 2005, we have enjoyed double- digit growth and the trend has developed significantly, especially in the past few years. "In the first quarter of this year alone, we achieved 70 per cent growth." In recent months, the company has attracted a whole new group of customers from the bird's nest industry, as producers and exporters seek internationally-recognised verification of nitrite levels in their products for the domestic and export market. BPFT is ISO 17025-certified and accredited with the Malaysia's Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) as well as the Food Safety and Quality Division of the Health Ministry. Beh said in a statement today that BPFT had invested in a full range of resources to conduct microbiological tests on food, water, air sampling and also food chemical testing which covers nutrition analysis, preservatives and antibiotics screening as well as detect the presence of toxic heavy metals. BPFT upgraded its laboratories six months ago with RM3 million worth of the state-of-the-art equipment, including the acquisition of instruments which can detect heavy metals, until parts per trillion levels. In expanding its business, BPFT has a huge advantage by leveraging on the over 80 BP Healthcare outlets nationwide as pick-up points to collect test products from customers, and a sophisticated IT-based tracking system which allows customers to check the status of the tests and results. "Customers are provided with special login IDs to keep track of the progress of the tests and the results are also delivered online. "We are the first to have this. The results can be obtained within a day or up to a week depending on the complexity of the tests," said Beh. All sample products are sent for analysis to either of BPFT’s two testing centres, in Jalan New Ferry in Butterworth, Penang, and the other in SS15 in Subang Jaya, Selangor. Beh said small and medium enterprises were welcome to contact BPFT - it has a staff of 150 - to discuss special packages for tests on their products. "We are very competitive on the pricing side because we have economies of scale," he added. --BERNAMA