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archilles
JessiccaCounterfeit Eggs – True or Hoax?
April 18th 2008 05:43
Replicating items is one of the most challenging arts anyone can face. I for one am not good at it. When you see those like the fake sushi sets / other types of food replicated for display purpose it does come in handy as cooks and restaurants don’t have to cook a display food all over again that doesn’t last by the end of the day.
But when it comes to counterfeiting food for consumers, what would that happen?
Rat chopped
Finished product
Many people believed and agreed that China has one of the most talented hands they have, they can replica / counterfeit almost anything you introduced to them, from DVDs to handbags, even for the recent circulated articles about how they harvest rat and make it like chicken meat is clever and sneaky. That’s how China citizens are trying their best to survive from poverty.
Then again, counterfeit eggs?
Recently I have received an article from my friend regarding this issue, and from the photos taken I am pretty sure that this experiment did happen to see how real they could make an egg out of chemical ingredients, not to mention that they also recorded the health hazardous effect on humans who will consumed them. Yet when this news leaked out, with the aid of the borderless cyber world – this information could be manipulated into the sense of humour (for the originator) in to see how many people out there would have believed and distributed the article via email. True enough it has spread like wildfire across the cyber world, holding each person’s faith and doubt at the edge of a cliff. Let’s take a look at one of the sample emails received:
Fake Eggs from China ! (Shocking - must read .... )
(Judging form the article this must be circulated in Singapore)
Beware u guys and gals!
During a recent raid on a wholesale centre in Guangzhou City, the capital of China 's Guangdong province, a large quantity of fake eggs was seized. Their wholesale price is 0.15 Yuan (S$0.03) each - half the price of a real egg.
Consumers have a hard time telling a genuine egg from a fake one. This is good news for unscrupulous entrepreneurs, who are even conducting three-day courses in the production of artificial eggs for less than S$150.
A reporter with Hong Kong-based Chinese magazine EastWeek enrolled in one such course. To create egg white, the instructor - a woman in her 20s - used assorted ingredients such as gelatin, an unknown powder, benzoic acid, coagulating material and even alum, which is normally used for industrial processes.
For egg yolk, some lemon-yellow colouring powder is mixed to a liquid and the concoction stirred. The liquid is then poured into a round-shaped plastic mould and mixed with so-called 'magic water', which contains calcium chloride.
This gives the 'yolk' a thin outer membrane, firming it up. The egg is then shaped with a mould. The shell is not forgotten. Paraffin wax and an unidentified white liquid are poured onto the fake egg, which is then left to dry.
The artificial egg can be fried sunny-side up or steamed. Although bubbles appear on the white of the egg, those who have tasted it say the fake stuff tastes very much like the real thing.
But experts warn of the danger of eating fake eggs. Not only do they not contain any nutrients, a Hong Kong Chinese University professor warned that long-term consumption of alum could cause dementia or mental disease.
To make the egg white, various ingredients, including a powder and alum, are mixed together.
The 'yolk' is shaped in the round mould. 'Magic water' containing calcium chloride is used.
Hardy shells are formed by pouring paraffin wax and a liquid onto the egg, which are then left to dry.
UNBELIEVABLE ?? BELIEVE IT ! Just make sure the eggs you have at breakfast are REAL ones.
CDs sold for self-study
I also received another article in Mandarin about this process and how the research centre is selling the know-hows in CDs and DVDs to anyone who wants to self study this. In the article the lady interviewed did mentioned that the technical know-how are currently not open to market at the moment. “This is for students who came for this course to self-studying”
On the other hand, while the rumours of counterfeit eggs are currently on sale in the province of China, there are also articles posted that the emails distributed is a hoax and wanted to see how many viewers buy this story.
For anyone actually went through and read the original finding from The Internet Journal of Toxicology, "bullshit alarm bell" should sound off when the study is sponsored by one "Queers Network Research" in Hong Kong. Of course, no such organization exists and phone numbers listed are bogus as well. Five of 14 references in the article are from author listed as "unknown".
“I understand things in China are cheap, but I highly doubt counterfeiters would go through the tedious process just to make fake eggs. After all, luxury hand bags and DVDs could turn a much faster buck.” (What Tian Has Learned Blog)
Counterfeit Century Egg
So how far can this article be trusted? Only to know that at this moment, replica is actually available with advised side effects in human health, we should all realise that things not from nature can’t be relied on totally, should this have given a warning sign of those who loves to indulge vegetarian “fake meat” ranges to be a little more diligent on what they should be eating? Perhaps.
Look out on what you eat, take as much natural food as possible would be the most idle way of living.
References:
Chicken Simulated Rat
Hoax Chinese Counterfeit Eggs
Max's Casa
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