SHENZHEN: Mothers on the mainland, terrified of their babies becoming the next victims of the baby milk scandal, are turning to Hong Kong for safe food for their infants.

An official at the customs checkpoint in Luohu, which links Shenzhen and Hong Kong, told China Daily yesterday there has been a dramatic rise in the amount of baby formula being brought in from the special administrative region.

"There has been a huge increase in the number of mainlanders coming back from Hong Kong with milk powder," the customs' press officer Wang Jing said.