SINGAPORE, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- Singapore has launched its first national standard to authenticate the quality of edible bird's nest, an Asian delicacy whose market has long been plagued by counterfeits and substitutes.
Jointly developed by Duke-NUS Medical School and Enterprise Singapore, the standard uses Near-Infrared spectroscopy to provide an accurate, rapid and non-destructive on-site authentication method, in contrast to conventional tests that require samples to be sent to laboratories, the two organizations said in a Monday release.
Henry Leung, senior specialist at Nanyang Polytechnic and chair of the expert committee that drafted the standard, said the innovation positions Singapore as a global hub for edible bird's nest, supporting market expansion and the modernization of traditional Chinese medicine with science-based practices.
Prescribed for more than a thousand years in traditional Chinese medicine, edible bird's nest remains one of Asia's most expensive delicacies. ■
