More on fake eggs. Read on..
Would you believe it? Fake eggs have been sold in China for the last 10 years? What does that tell you? It just says that if you have been to China from as far back, you could have tasted fake eggs - in your soups, puddings, desserts, omelettes, etc. And you survived!! Alright, don't want to freak you out or anything.
Remember I wrote that there are instructions out there to teach one how to make fake eggs? Indeed there are.
A short insight into the making is as follows:
No great equipment is needed, just a small mould, just a few dollars to purchase.
Next add some sodium alginate which was been soaked in water, stir until it is clear and resembles an egg white. The next step is to add some pale yellow food colouring to resemble an egg yolk. Pour the liquid into the ball shaped container. Place the container into water containing calcium chloride. Wait one minute and a layer of yellow solidifies, forming the “yolk.”
The final step is to put the “yolk” into the previously made “white” then pour into a pre-made calcium carbonate egg shell and seal it.
A complete “egg” made of chemical raw ingredients has been produced in less than 5 minutes. This simple process can be quickly mastered and with 10 moulds, 300 eggs can be produced in one hour!
Making money is why anyone would want to mess with a chicken egg.
The cost of these “eggs” works out approximately 0.55 yuan per kilogram; while genuine eggs cost around 6.5 yuan per kilogram.
The fake eggs can be identified by a few means: the shell feels rougher, both end sof the shells have perforation marks, when shaken a strange noise can be heard and also when broken the yolk will mix with the white. This is because the yolk and white are made from the same raw materials. Also when frying the fake eggs, the yolk will automatically scatter without being stirred.
A supermarket in Huanggang at Shenzhen has resorted to setting up special equipment in order to help consumers test the quality of eggs.
The above is borrowed from kanzhongguo.com. Check out the link. There is more info on fake eggs in China where the above came from. It also has a link to an article on how fake eggs were first discovered at Xiamen.
On the local front, The Sun reported that tests conducted by CAP, i.e., the Consumers Association of Penang, found the fake egg shells to have been made of paraffin wax, gypsum powder and calcium carbonate, while the yolk and egg white, made using natrium alginate, alum, gelatine, benzoic acid, calcium chloride, water and food colouring.
Legal action will be taken against anyone found to have sold fake eggs, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai. If convicted for the offence, the seller faces a jail term of up to five years or a fine, or both under the Act.
The Health Minister added that anyone with information on the matter should lodge a complaint with the ministry's Food Safety and Quality Division, State Health Department, District Health Office or the website http://fsq.moh.gov.my.
Who knows what kind of illness or even genetic problems may result from this type of product.
Image source: KanZhongGuo.com
have heard about the fake eggs being "originated" from china, but was that 10 years ago?? i thot it's just few years back.. ooopsss, i've travel to china in 2007, must have eaten some of those~~
ReplyDeleteHow to trust anything from China? Everything also got fake.
ReplyDeleteBut those fake manufacturers are sure resourceful.If only they use it to good use rather than to make a quick buck.
About legal action how long would the jail sentence be or the cost of the fine? Those making the fake eggs are actually murderers dont they deserve death sentence?
ReplyDeleteJust be careful Bananas could be fake later haha. Fake or no fake is unknown but speed up ripeness of green bananas has been in the market for a long long time. Bananaz asked the banana seller *already buddy* and he said its the public that wanted ripe bananas they have no choice. I would buy the green ones hang them at home and eat them one by one when it ripens.
ReplyDeleteThe best thing is....don't buy eggs. We should rear chicken and "harvest" the organic eggs ourselves. :p
ReplyDelete