Dishes made from chicken feet: Low in nutrients, many health risks.

Grilled chicken feet, boiled chicken feet, chicken feet with mugwort... are dishes loved by many. However, nutrition experts warn that chicken feet do not provide much nutritional value and also pose many potential health risks.

Consumers should buy chicken feet from reputable establishments to ensure they know the origin of the product. (Illustrative image)

Various tricks to "transform" chicken feet.

Information about injecting water to increase the weight of chicken feet has caused consumer concern. This issue has once again raised alarm bells about food safety and hygiene. Previously, authorities have also discovered and seized many batches of chicken feet of unknown origin, emitting foul odors, and soaked in chemicals to bleach them...

Despite warnings about the health risks of this "favorite" dish, many people, when asked, said that what matters is the taste and "out of sight, out of mind," without caring about the origin or quality of the product. Mr. Nguyen Van Luan (from Trung Van, Hanoi) said that almost every weekend he calls his friends to a chicken feet restaurant on Nguyen Thai Hoc street for a meal because the prices are reasonable and it's a fun get-together.

It's not just men; women sometimes happily gather at street-side chicken feet stalls to chat or simply because they find it delicious. Ms. Nguyen Thi Ly (from Khuong Trung, Thanh Xuan, Hanoi) shared: "I really like grilled chicken feet because they're cheap and tasty. Occasionally, my colleagues and I also get together to eat at Ly Quoc Su. Street stalls may not be hygienic, but they're cheap, delicious, and the most effective way to relieve stress."

Speaking with a reporter from the Family & Society Newspaper, Dr. Do Thi Ngoc Diep, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Nutrition Center, stated that this is an unacceptable act of commercial fraud that greatly affects consumer rights. Choosing chicken feet for a daily meal and buying those that have been injected with water is unhealthy, even if the water is clean, because it breaks down collagen and skin components. Not to mention, injecting them with dirty water can introduce germs, bacteria, and even parasite eggs into the chicken feet.

Chicken feet are exposed to many dirty environments and are highly susceptible to contamination, especially gastrointestinal diseases, if not properly stored and if food safety and hygiene are compromised. Consuming chicken feet contaminated with chemicals can lead to acute or chronic poisoning. Acute poisoning commonly manifests as inflammation of the digestive system, stomach, intestines, and kidneys. However, chronic poisoning is more concerning because the chemicals, once absorbed into the body, can cause cellular changes leading to cancer, kidney failure, and liver failure.

According to Professor Tran Dang, former Director of the Food Safety Department (Ministry of Health), chicken feet of unknown origin are often treated with chemicals for preservation to prolong their shelf life; otherwise, they would spoil. These chemicals are often highly toxic, possibly including formaldehyde and formaldehyde – substances not permitted as food additives. Consuming chicken feet treated with these chemicals poses a significant health risk. Even if not consumed in large quantities at once, the toxins can accumulate in the body gradually each day, eventually leading to chronic diseases. Furthermore, some of the chemicals used in marinating chicken feet can cause gene mutations.

Identifying chicken feet injected with water.

According to Dr. Do Thi Ngoc Diep, we shouldn't choose chicken feet as a daily food. Many people mistakenly believe that eating chicken feet is highly nutritious. In reality, chicken feet don't provide much nutrition to the body because they only have skin and connective tissue, which contains some collagen – a component of protein. However, the amount of protein and fat provided by chicken feet is not significant. If we consider chicken feet as a daily source of nutrition, it certainly won't be as high as chicken meat or tofu.

In terms of identification, "water-injected" chicken feet are usually plump, uniform, and lack wrinkles in the skin. Consumers should directly touch the chicken feet they intend to buy and gently squeeze them. Water-injected chicken feet are usually soft and mushy, with the toes abnormally swollen. They feel soft and mushy when pressed. When gently pulled from the sole downwards, water-injected chicken feet will release water droplet by drop, or after a while, the feet will be wet as if they have just been soaked in water.

When buying, people should choose chicken feet that are naturally pinkish-white, without any unusual colors such as red, green, or yellow spots. The feet should not feel slimy to the touch. If they feel firm and even when squeezed, then they are good quality chicken feet.

According to Family.net