AN organic food craze is emerging among China’s urbanites as food safety scandals spur the younger generation toward alternative ways to buy fresh produce and meat.

    So far, organic foods’ penetration into China appears small, accounting for 1.01 percent of total food consumption, but that’s nearly triple 2007’s 0.36 percent, according to data from organic trade fair Biofach.

    A series of high-profile food scandals over the past seven years has been a primary catalyst for growth in the organic food market. Biofach expects the segment’s share of China’s overall food market to hit 2 percent this year.

    China’s unsafe food trouble continued in 2014, with the Chinese affiliate of U.S. meat supplier OSI Group accused of using expired meat. OSI caters to major fast-food chains such as McDonald’s and Yum Group’s KFC operating on the mainland. Wal-Mart was also dragged into the limelight following revelations that its donkey meat product contained fox meat. Most recently, Subway also came under scrutiny after Chinese media reported in late December that workers at a Beijing franchise changed expiry dates on meat and vegetables to extend their use.

    The rise of organic food is also expected to draw support from government officials prioritizing nutrition and environment to spur domestic consumption in a country where focus has traditionally always been on industrial growth.

    Food scandals inspired Zhu Xun, CEO of Beijing-based farm Noah Organic, to start his own business. Speaking to CNBC, Zhu described how he and a friend began selling organic produce for up and coming Chinese concerned about safety. “My friend and I wanted to eat healthier. When we eat at restaurants, we don’t know where the vegetables and the meat come from.”

    Now in its fourth year of business, the farm shuns fertilizers and pesticides to ensure maximum safety. Zhu relies on traditional methods instead.

    However, these chemical-free products don’t come cheap. A one-time delivery for 6 kilos of vegetables from Noah Organic will set customers back 199 yuan, or US$32 — five times as much as a typical supermarket. (SD-Agencies)