ALMOST EVERYTHING the modern city dweller eats is tested - or should be - to ascertain its specific content and provide clear details for the consumer.
Professional consultants provide these testing services and are an important part of the chain which brings our food from the place of production to the shelves of the supermarket or speciality store.
Most testing is of familiar everyday items but, as tastes become more diverse, it has become necessary to develop processes to check the more unusual foodstuffs.
'A few weeks ago I was asked to do a test on green eggs from China and find out the health benefits for the client,' said Wing Lau Wing-tung, a food testing and labelling consultant at China Dragon Inspection and Certification (HK).
'Because eggs are a fresh product, we first applied carbohydrate and protein tests, before going on to many others. For canned products, we would also be looking for additives,' Ms Lau said.
Her job also involves the accurate labelling of ingredients and, especially for products destined for the mainland market, this provides one of her greatest challenges.
'China's regulations are very strict and require a detailed listing of contents and additives. It can be difficult because the Chinese and English written forms for ingredients can be very different. Also, I often have to deal with mainland government staff over the phone and my Putonghua isn't very good - I definitely need to improve it.'
Ms Lau graduated last year with a BSc in food science and technology from Curtin University of Technology in Australia. The course covered food safety, human biology, chemistry, microbiology and food law, and provided an excellent academic grounding.
'This degree gives you full training for most food-related careers,' Ms Lau said.
She intends to pursue a master's degree in food science at the Chinese University.
A qualification in food science can lead to careers in quality assurance, research and laboratory work, or a specialist job in food consultancy, marketing, or consulting on aspects of the law.
Ms Lau said that, overall, there might only be limited opportunities in the food industry in Hong Kong, so people interested in this type of work should be prepared to work overseas to further their career.
She said that one of the most satisfying parts of her job was coming across items she dealt with in her professional capacity while out shopping.
'It's great when I see food products I was consulted on now sitting on the shelves in supermarkets,' she said.
'It is also pleasing to be able to help clients with the information they require. They need technical information and we can provide it.'