Food from Heilongjiang province has seen a surge in popularity in Hong Kong after the province opened a green food store in the city in February.

Located in northeastern China, Heilongjiang is renowned for its fertile soil where pollution-free, safe, high-quality and healthy food is cultivated and produced. Widely known as "green food" in China, the made in Heilongjiang food products are expected to hit the global market after a positive start in Hong Kong.

The province's 530 sq m flagship store in Hong Kong sells 206 kinds of food products including juice, grains, tea, nuts, flour and sauces.

Products like blueberry juice, corn juice, honey and hazelnuts are particularly popular in Heilongjiang and have also attracted customers in Hong Kong.

A Hong Kong resident surnamed Cheung said that she trusted the quality of food from Heilongjiang.

"I heard that agri-products from Heilongjiang are non-transgenic and they also passed the quality test of Hong Kong. I believe they are quite safe and for a family with kids food safety is extremely important," said Cheung.

Li Chuansheng, director of the investment center at Heilongjiang province's commerce department, said that the province's green food products sold in Hong Kong passed tests by Heilongjiang Entry-exit Inspection and Guarantee Bureau and Hong Kong Standard and Testing Center, an independent non-profit testing organization.

Healthy and safe are the two essential advantages of the province's food, which was also showcased at the Hong Kong Food Expo in August.

According to an official from the provincial government, the expo and the flagship store will help promote the green food in the global market.

Competing with products from around the world, Heilongjiang exhibitors at the expo were very confident.

An exhibitor surnamed Wang, who is the manager of sales at Baiyi Food, a company in the province, said that the company's corn juice was very popular among Hong Kong customers.

"A lot of Hong Kong people have become our loyal customers after they bought our products," said Wang.

With achievements and also challenges ahead, Heilongjiang government has stepped up its efforts to further develop the green food industry.

According to a government official, the development plans cover every part of the industry including cultivation, production, logistics, marketing and food safety regulation.

A healthy brand image for the food products is a focus of the development plans.

E Zhongqi, director of the province's Green Food Exhibition and Marketing Association, said that the provincial government was working on a supervision and regulation system for green food marketing.

E said that association members should label their products to show that they were certified. The government also stressed that the supervision of flagship stores and chain stores should ensure all product information and quality assessments are recorded.

The government also plans to improve the industry's logistics system, attract more investments and pay more attention to R&D and innovation, to try and sharpen the industry's competitive edge in the global market, according to the official.

As part of the government's development plan, 3,000 chain stores and 100 flagship stores are expected to open in the country. By the end of the year, there will also be three green food stores to open in Hong Kong.

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