"Specialty" of pipe intestines and food safety concerns of Ha Tinh consumers

Pipe-twisted intestines are a special type of pig intestines. This type of intestines is only found in female pigs that have lived for a long time and are weak. At that time, the inner intestines will have a shape similar to the pipes that people often use to smoke tobacco.

Many opinions say that pig intestines are actually the intestines of pigs with health problems or mutations.

Pork intestines are a favorite dish of many people.

In recent days, social networks have been spreading a video recording the scene of a restaurant owner in Hanoi showing off a 40m long, 5.8kg pig intestine dish made from a female pig weighing more than 100kg, causing much controversy about its authenticity. Since then, there has been a lot of information about the possibility of fake intestines being made, making diners start to doubt the origin of this dish.

Immediately after being inspected by the authorities, the owner of this establishment admitted that he was only “bragging” when advertising this set of intestines. In fact, the length of the intestines was only 25-27m, but the owner of the restaurant increased the length to attract viewers to get views on social networks. At the time of inspection, the restaurant representative said that the food source was imported from a slaughterhouse in another province but had not presented full documents proving the origin and food safety.

The owner of a restaurant specializing in selling tobacco intestines in Hanoi – the person who “brags” that his tobacco intestines are 40m long. Photo: Facebook.

At large markets in Ha Tinh , many pork traders also shook their heads when asked about se dieu intestines. Traders said that each pig has a different quality of intestines, those with thick, crispy, clean small intestines are popularly called se dieu. However, that intestine appears in very small proportions.

“I specialize in pig intestines, but I rarely see intestines with tobacco threads. If I’m lucky, I might see 1-2 intestines with tobacco threads each year, but some years I don’t see any. The intestines with tobacco threads are so rare, when I see them, I keep them for my family to eat and don’t sell them,” said Ms. Nguyen Thi Huong, a vendor at Vuon Uom market.

A vendor at Vuon Uom market (Ha Tinh city) shook his head when a customer asked about the inside of a cigarette.

Also in the “scarcity” of pork intestines, many small traders who have been slaughtering and selling pork for decades rarely see this food. Each slaughtered pig only has small intestines, large intestines, stomach, liver, and venus… if there are pork intestines, restaurants specializing in pork intestines will buy them immediately at a high price.

"I have been selling pork and other pig organs for more than 10 years, but my stall rarely has ready-made pork intestines for sale. Usually, the intestines that are ready-made are immediately imported by traders for regular customers when they are available. The price of intestines made into cigarettes is quite high, ten times higher than normal pig intestines, up to nearly 1 million VND/kg" - a trader at Ha Tinh City market said.

On food websites as well as in restaurants specializing in pig intestines in Ha Tinh, it is rare to see pig intestines with tobacco. According to a business owner of a pig intestine restaurant in Thach Quy ward, it is very difficult to have pig intestines with tobacco to meet the needs of customers because they are not always available. If you are lucky, you can only get a small amount every few months when you get goods from slaughterhouses, while the number of customers is large. Therefore, if you can get it, it is only for customers who are relatives and close friends.

Speaking to some media, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Duy Thinh, former lecturer at the Institute of Food Technology (Hanoi University of Science and Technology) said that due to the scarcity of pipe cores, many places may use chemicals to create fake products, posing many potential risks to the health of users. Some substances such as hydrogen peroxide and alum are often used for soaking, making the core whiter and harder, but if used in high concentrations or soaked for a long time, they can be harmful to the digestive system.

In particular, formalin - a substance that is absolutely banned in food - is abused due to its ability to kill bacteria and prolong preservation time. If you eat food containing formalin, you may experience severe abdominal pain, vomiting, acute gastroenteritis and an increased risk of cancer if exposed for a long time.

On food websites in Ha Tinh, it is rare to find ready-made pipe hearts for sale.

Due to the scarcity in the market, Ha Tinh consumers feel worried when the pipe intestines appear widely on social networks in recent times. Many people cannot help but wonder whether this rare intestine is real or just a normal small intestine treated with chemicals to deceive the sight and taste buds and then released to the market in large quantities with eye-catching shapes.

Mr. V.TN. (Thach Ha ward, Ha Tinh city) shared: "Nowadays, fake food and dirty food are rampant. If the intestines of the cigarette are also processed with chemicals, it is really too dangerous, making consumers feel insecure. To ensure safety, we will certainly choose food more carefully in the future, including limiting the consumption of animal organs and looking for clean foods with clear origins. At the same time, we request that the relevant authorities quickly clarify the case of the intestines of the cigarette. If there are any violations, they will be strictly handled, creating a deterrent for those who process and trade dirty food."

In the big markets of Ha Tinh, tobacco cores are rarely seen for sale on stalls.

Mr. HVT (Bac Ha Ward, Ha Tinh City) said: “I usually eat dishes made from pig offal, but these past few days I have stopped. There are fewer people coming to eat at shops that specialize in selling pig offal. When people heard about the possible chemical-soaked offal, it was natural that they were worried.”

Ms. Dao Thi Phuong - Deputy Head of the Provincial Food Safety and Hygiene Department recommends: "Currently, there is no official scientific information explaining the biological mechanism that creates cigarette intestines. However, to ensure health safety, consumers should choose to buy animal organs at reputable establishments with traceable origins and should not use them regularly. When choosing to buy, priority should be given to round, flat intestines with a pinkish-white color, smooth surface, and no strange smell to ensure safety and quality."

Source: https://baohatinh.vn/dac-san-long-se-dieu-va-noi-lo-an-toan-thuc-pham-cua-nguoi-tieu-dung-ha-tinh-post287432.html