Quality control: Guangdong direct-selling firm Infinitus invests over $1m in testing centre upgrading

28-Jun-2023 - Last updated on 28-Jun-2023 at 01:43 GMT

Infinitus' employees demonstrating the use of equipment at the company's Guangdong testing centre. ©Infinitus

Guangdong-headquartered direct-selling firm Infinitus has invested RMB$8m (US$1.13m) in upgrading one of its testing centres that covers health foods, food products, cosmetics, and personal care products testing.

Infinitus is a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based Lee Kum Kee Health Products Group (LKKHPG). Its product portfolios range across herbal supplements, skincare to personal care products. Outside of China, the direct-seller also operates in Canada and South East Asia, including Singapore, Philippines, and Malaysia.

The company has injected about RMB$8m (US$1.13m) in upgrading its testing centre located in Xinhui, Guangdong in mid-May.

Aside from upgrading the centre’s existing laboratories, the firm will also build a 700 square metres microorganism lab, expanding the centre to a total capacity of 3,000 square metres.

The upgrade would fulfill the company’s and the Guangdong provincial requirements for product quality control, CEO Huang Jianlong said at the launch of the upgrading works.

A number of new technologies will be introduced into the upgraded centre, including 3M mold rapid detection technology, automatic colony counter, and automatic culture medium packaging equipment, the firm told NutraIngredients-Asia.

“Backed by the upgraded laboratory, we will continue to conduct in-depth validation of the applicability of microbial detection methods, strain identification, antibacterial/anti-corrosion challenge tests for cosmetic and personal care products, and other technologies, in order to comprehensively improve the microbiological laboratory testing capabilities and product quality assurance,” a company spokesman said.

The upgrading works would be completed before year end to meet the testing needs of health foods, foods, cosmetics, and personal care products, he added.

The company’s health foods are mainly herbal health products developed based on Traditional Chinese Medicine concepts. Some of its popular products are made from Lingzhi, Lion’s mane, and white fungus which gained popularity during COVID-19.

Aside from Xinhui, Infinitus owns another testing centre at its production based located in Yingkou, Liaoning.

The centre focuses the testing of health products designed for anti-ageing, skin, immune, musculoskeletal and gastrointestinal health, said the spokesman.

On the other hand, the company’s R&D laboratory is located in its global headquarter at Infinitus Plaza in Guangdong.

Fellow direct-selling firm, Amway China, has also invested nearly US$90m in March to upgrade its production base in Guangzhou over a five-year period. This would beef up the firm’s R&D capabilities and further integrate the company within China’s biotech industry ecosystem, according to CEO Milind Pant.