Ho Chi Minh City: Cheap chicken feet are everywhere and food safety concerns

Recently, the trade of chicken feet of unknown origin has become widespread, causing concerns about food safety and consumer health.

From traditional markets to social networks, it's everywhere.

Chicken feet are becoming increasingly popular in many traditional markets, wholesale markets and especially on social media platforms. However, the worrying thing is that most of these products are of unknown origin, without labels or quality inspection documents, making consumers confused about food safety.

In large markets in Ho Chi Minh City such as Ba Chieu market (Binh Thanh district), Xom Chieu market (District 4) or Hoc Mon wholesale market, frozen chicken feet are sold in large quantities, with prices ranging from 40,000 - 80,000 VND/kg, depending on the size and whiteness of the chicken feet. Some traders said they consume several dozen kilograms per day, especially on weekends or near holidays when the demand for drinking and gathering increases.

Frozen chicken feet are being sold widely online. Screenshot

Ms. Hoang Thi Le, a vendor at Ba Chieu Market, shared, “ I got these chicken feet from a cold storage in Thu Duc. They are frozen goods that have been stored for a long time but have been properly preserved so they still retain their freshness and attractive color. The import price is quite low, so I sell them at a reasonable price, so customers love them, especially on weekends. Every day I sell dozens of kilos, and sometimes I don’t have enough to deliver.”

However, when asked about labels, documents proving origin or quality control, she just shook her head: "These chicken feet are frozen goods, we only sell them by the day, there are no documents. If you want to buy a large quantity, you have to order in advance, any quantity is available, but you have to notify early to collect the goods."

Similarly, at a food wholesale point on Pham Van Chieu Street (Go Vap District), a vendor said: “If you buy a lot, I will deliver it to your door. There are types with bones removed, and types with whole chicken feet, white, big, crispy. Guaranteed not to smell bad. Don’t worry, I sell to several pubs. If you buy 100 kilos, it will be delivered within the day!”

Chicken feet are packed in 5 - 10kg bags without labels. Photo: Provided by the seller

Not only in the market, on social networking sites such as Facebook, Zalo, TikTok, a series of personal accounts and online food stores are selling frozen chicken feet with attractive advertisements such as "restaurant-quality chicken feet", "cleaned, deep frozen, ready to process", "good wholesale price". Retail prices are often cheaper than in the market, only from 50,000 - 65,000 VND/kg, if you buy from 5kg or more, the price is only 40,000 - 45,000 VND/kg.

Posing as a snack shop owner looking for wholesale lemongrass chicken feet, a reporter from the Industry and Trade Newspaper approached a Facebook account specializing in selling food. After just a few minutes of texting, the seller sent a price list, committed to same-day delivery and affirmed: " Our goods are stored in standard cold storage, wholesale customers buy regularly, the goods are extremely delicious." However, when asked to provide inspection documents or import information, the seller only said in general that "the goods are domestic" and "bought from a familiar source".

The proliferation of frozen chicken feet on the market without information about their origin is raising concerns among consumers. Mr. Ho Minh Thanh (District 3, Ho Chi Minh City), who often buys chicken feet to prepare snacks for his family, shared: “I have always ordered chicken feet online because it is convenient, delivered to my door, and the price is reasonable. But recently, I have seen many places selling them at surprisingly low prices, without labels or clear origins, so I am starting to worry. Listening to the news continuously reporting on the arrests of dirty food, especially rotten chicken feet, and goods floating in illegal cold storages, I feel really confused.”

Similarly, Ms. Luu Thi Tam (District 1) also expressed caution: “I used to buy frozen chicken feet to make lemongrass and lime dishes, but after reading several articles about using chemicals to bleach or keep them fresh, I shuddered. Now I only dare to buy them at supermarkets, more expensive but safer.”

Cancer risk from favorite chicken feet dish

Chicken feet are a popular dish because of their delicious, chewy taste and collagen content - a protein that is beneficial for the skin and bones. However, if you consume chicken feet of unknown origin, unsanitary conditions or improperly prepared, this favorite dish can become a potential health hazard.

According to chicken experts, chicken feet are the part that is in direct contact with the dirty environment, very susceptible to bacteria that cause digestive diseases such as Salmonella, E.coli or Staphylococcus. If not carefully prepared and fully cooked, people who eat them are at risk of diarrhea, food poisoning or intestinal infections.

Risk of digestive disorders and cancer from favorite chicken feet dish. Illustration photo

More worrying is the situation of smuggled chicken feet and cheap frozen chicken feet being sold on the market without inspection. Many expired batches are also bleached with toxic chemicals such as borax, hydrogen peroxide or industrial bleach to create beautiful colors and prolong the preservation time. When consuming this type of food for a long time, the risk of accumulating toxins in the body is very high, affecting the liver, kidneys, nerves and even increasing the risk of cancer.

In addition, processed chicken feet can also contain many additives, flavorings and high salt content - factors that can easily lead to high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, especially dangerous for people with underlying diseases such as gout or dyslipidemia. Eating regularly in the evening or combining with beer and alcohol also increases the risk of being overweight and obese. Therefore, consumers need to be extremely careful when choosing and using chicken feet, avoiding turning their favorite dish into a health hazard.

On the afternoon of May 26, Market Management Team No. 1 ( Quang Ninh Market Management Department) coordinated with the police and customs forces to detect and temporarily detain 1,720 kg of unprocessed chicken feet and 6,100 kg of processed chicken feet without invoices, documents, or papers proving their origin.

Previously, on May 24, in Hanoi , the authorities promptly discovered and seized 1.4 tons of chicken feet without invoices and documents on the way to Hanoi for consumption. The entire shipment consisted of pre-processed chicken feet (fried), poorly packaged, and many products were moldy.

Ngan Nga

Source: https://congthuong.vn/tp-ho-chi-minh-chan-ga-gia-re-tran-lan-va-noi-lo-ve-an-toan-thuc-pham-389994.html