Chinese food firms look abroad to improve image

South Korea seen as a springboard for companies to explore the international market and win consumers' confidence on safety issues, reports Lyu Chang in Seoul

For a number of years, the media has been riddled with reports of the poor quality of some Chinese food and beverages, ranging from infant milk formulas and pork contaminated by cancer-causing toxins or the use of excessive amounts of additives to water drawn from rivers containing hundreds of dead pigs.

But a collection of food companies in the world's largest exporter plans to change that perception and prove that it can match quality with quantity by qualifying for the coveted "Made in Korea" label.