Exposing the chemical that "turns" rotten meat into fresh meat

As Tet approaches, authorities are discovering more cases of transporting and slaughtering dead pigs. How can dead pork be sold to consumers? Yet, dishonest traders still manage to do it.

Buying dead pigs at cheap prices, treating them with chemicals to look like fresh meat and selling them at high prices, dishonest traders make huge profits on consumers' health.

Dead pigs are flooding the market.

On December 25, 2013, the economic police of Trang Bom district, while monitoring, discovered that Mr. Than Thanh Binh's household in Tan Binh hamlet, Binh Minh commune had purchased 10 dead pigs (equivalent to 400 kg) and brought them home to prepare for slaughter. When caught red-handed, the dead pigs had all their internal organs removed.

Not only Trang Bom district but also in Thong Nhat district located next door, on January 11, 2014, Market Management Team No. 1 (under Dong Nai Market Management Department) also discovered a pig slaughterhouse owned by Ms. Nguyen Thi Tuyet Ngoc (32 years old) in Vo Dong 2 hamlet, Gia Kiem commune, Thong Nhat district "storing" over 600 kg of meat and pig organs marinated in many styrofoam boxes emitting a foul odor.

In addition, at this facility, there are 3 dead pigs being slaughtered. Initially, Ms. Ngoc confessed: Every day, this facility buys dead pigs from farms in the area at a price of 10,000 VND/kg, then brings them back to slaughter and sell them in Ho Chi Minh City and Binh Duong province.

Previously, on January 5, Market Management Team No. 1, when inspecting a pig slaughterhouse in Phuc Nhac 1 hamlet, Gia Tan 3 commune, Thong Nhat district, owned by Mr. Nguyen Vuong (34 years old), discovered that the facility was slaughtering dead pigs. The number of pigs and internal organs discovered was up to more than 400kg. Mr. Vuong confessed to buying sick and dead pigs from farming households, butchering them, and then selling them to "roast pig" establishments.

In Ho Chi Minh City, in 2013 alone, the amount of "rotten meat" entering the city was so great that the Thu Duc Animal Quarantine Station alone, in coordination with the Rach Chiec Traffic Police Team, Ho Chi Minh City, discovered nearly 300 cases of violations in transporting and trading animals and animal products.

Among them, there are many cases of trading and transporting spoiled animal products, emitting foul odors. Typically, on December 24, 2013, the Station coordinated with the Rach Chiec Traffic Police Team to discover a 16-seat tourist vehicle, operated by Mr. Pham Quoc Huy (District 8, Ho Chi Minh City) transporting dead pork from Trang Bom, Dong Nai to Ho Chi Minh City for consumption.

Powder to bleach rotten meat into fresh meat (25 thousand/kg)

The number of dead pigs was determined to be 550 kg, contained in eight sacks on the floor of the vehicle and without a quarantine certificate. This was also the third time in 2013 that the Station discovered Mr. Huy transporting rotten pork from Trang Bom to Ho Chi Minh City for consumption.

Following the guidance of a local veterinary officer, we had the opportunity to meet Ms. V, the owner of an illegal pork slaughterhouse (now retired) located in Binh Minh commune, Trang Bom district, Dong Nai province.

Ms. V revealed that in order to make a living from illegal slaughter, she had to buy small quantities of sick and dead pigs from local farmers. While the price of live pigs is 47,000 VND/kg, sick pigs cost only 1/3 of that, and dead pigs cost even less, only 8,000-10,000 VND/kg. However, dead pork is often purple, not bright red like live pork. So, how can we sell the above "rotten meat"?

Mrs. V revealed the secret: “After bringing the dead pig home, you must first remove all the internal organs, then cut it into pieces and soak it in a powder similar to tapioca starch, which is odorless. According to experience, if the pig has been dead for 1 day, soak 100kg of meat in 1 kg of the above powder. If the pig has been dead for 2 days or more, mix it more strongly, sometimes 2-3kg of powder for 100kg of meat. Thanks to the effect of this powder, even if the meat is spoiled, it still does not smell. The color of the meat still looks fresh and bright. The processed meat can be sold to retail markets and floss production facilities."

According to Mr. Nguyen Trung Thanh, Deputy Head of Trang Bom District Veterinary Station, there are currently 24 licensed slaughterhouses in the district, of which the province manages 5 and the district manages 19. In addition, there are many other illegal slaughterhouses that cannot be fully accounted for.

"These are family-run slaughterhouses with a slaughter scale of about ten pigs or less. They often buy sick pigs, dead pigs to slaughter, then use chemicals to soak them, and then bring them to the market for consumption. When discovered, they claim to sell them to crocodile farms (!?)", Mr. Thanh said. On the other hand, due to insufficient evidence of selling dead pigs to the market, the authorities can only fine these illegal slaughterhouses a few million dong and that's it!

Roll call of chemicals that "clean" rotten meat

Posing as a trader who needed to buy a white powder to treat rotten meat, we went to Kim Bien chemical market. An employee at Xuyen stall said it was "sulfur" (SO2). Seeing me wondering if SO2 was a gas, the employee said in a harsh voice: "I told you it was sulfur, people are buying it like crazy, if you don't want to buy it, then forget it. This is powder to soak and wash rotten meat, priced at 25,000 VND/kg. I don't know where it comes from!"

Talking to some people knowledgeable about chemicals, this powder could be sodium sulfite (Na2SO3). On the market, they are contained in 50kg bags labeled in Chinese. Stall owners repackage them in 1kg nylon bags to sell retail to customers. "Customers here are used to it, some buy a ton, and during the current Tet holiday, they sell more. This powder is odorless, easy to use, and not toxic to eat (!)", said a chemical seller at Kim Bien market.

Meanwhile, Dr. Phan The Dong, former Head of the Food Technology Department, Ho Chi Minh City University of Agriculture and Forestry, said that there are three compounds with similar properties: Na2SO3 (sodium sulfite or sodium sulfite); NaHSO3 (sodium bisulfite or sodium bisulfite) and Na2S2O5 (sodium metabisulfite or sodium metabisulfite). All three of these substances have similar effects. That is, when soaked in water, they release SO2 gas. SO2 gas acts as a detergent, cleaning up the bad smell of food.

"Currently, I do not know if these substances are on the list permitted by the Ministry of Health or not? I only know that they have been used in food, specifically NaHSO3 code E222; Na2S2O5 code E223. (Code E is the code for food additives of the EU). But the acceptable dose for the body is 0.7 mg/kg of body weight. If used in large quantities, there is only a risk of causing allergies for sensitive people and is especially harmful for people with asthma" - Dr. Dong said.

Dr. Dong further explained that the above chemicals have no or very little ability to destroy bacteria and the toxins they produce. They can only bleach and deodorize rotten meat to make it look like fresh meat.

Even though it is treated with chemicals, rotten meat is bland and crumbly. However, if flavorings, colorings, borax and spices are added, the processed rotten meat will still be beautiful and fragrant to deceive the senses of consumers. But if you are observant, you will notice the difference compared to fresh processed meat. Remember, cooking rotten meat that has been treated with chemicals will not kill all pathogens but has a high risk of causing poisoning.

According to NNVN