Fake beef reports raise food safety concerns
Chiu Chien-ling and Staff Reporter 2011-04-15 10:24 (GMT+8)
Potentially harmful processed pork has been discovered masquerading as beef in meat markets. (File Photo/Xinhua)
A beef extract that can make any kind of meat taste and look just like beef has been observed being used in markets in Anhui province, China, adding to concerns about the nation's food safety, according to the Anhui Daily Press Group on Thursday.
Press reports said that by adding a few teaspoons of beef extract before heating a piece of pork, it can easily be transformed into beef.
The owner of a seasoning store said that her store had two types of beef extract. "A 500 gram bottle of beef extract can turn 50 kilograms of pork into beef," she said.
Since a kilogram of beef costs more than a kilogram of pork at the Hefei market in Anhui province, by converting 50 kilograms of pork into "fake" beef, sellers can earn a handsome profit of 450 yuan (US$68.88), or even save as much as 1,000 yuan (US$153.07) by selling the same quantity to delicatessens.
However, a nephrologist in the province warned that consuming the extract would lower the ability of hemoglobin, a red protein in blood, to transport oxygen, and might lead to chronic poisoning, deformity, or cancer if consumed for a long period of time. He said consumers should avoid very brightly-colored deli meat.
Sumber :http://www.wantchinatimes.com
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