Young chicken eggs are sold everywhere, consumers are confused

Unripe chicken eggs are sold everywhere, of unknown origin.

Young chicken eggs have long been popular with many people because of their delicious taste, ease of preparation and being considered a nutritious dish. These eggs are actually immature eggs, still in the belly of the hen. Young chicken eggs are often used for boiling, stir-frying or dipping in hot pot. Because they are quite rare and the purchasing process is difficult, the price of this item is always high, up to 300,000 VND/kg.

However, recently, this type of food has been appearing frequently on social networking sites, online markets and frozen food stalls in large quantities, with significant price differences, but most of them do not have specific information about the origin, place of production or quality inspection certificate. This situation makes many consumers feel confused and worried about the safety of young chicken eggs being sold on the market.

Baby chicken eggs are widely sold on online markets. Screenshot

According to actual records at some traditional markets and wholesale markets in Ho Chi Minh City, traders admit that purchasing young chicken eggs is not easy, often having to collect goods from many different sources, mainly industrial chicken farms. Some sellers also said that a large number of young chicken eggs are transported from many neighboring localities, and there are even rumors that this type of egg is smuggled from China.

Ms. Bui Thi Duyen, a trader at Ba Chieu market (Ho Chi Minh City) said: “Young chicken eggs are quite rare, normally customers have to order in advance to have enough quantity. I have to collect the goods from many different places, mainly industrial chicken farms, so it is difficult to determine the exact origin of each batch. However, the goods are always guaranteed to be fresh and delicious, carefully refrigerated before being delivered to customers.”

Similarly, Mr. Tran Duc Loi, a vendor at Van Thanh market, also shared: “This item is mainly sourced from industrial chicken farms. I only import from familiar sources and cannot closely monitor or check the production process there. Buyers today mainly put their trust in the seller, but no one dares to confirm with certainty whether the harvesting, preservation or food quality processes are absolutely safe or not.”

Experts warn of the risks of unripe chicken eggs of unknown origin

To clarify the situation, a reporter from the Industry and Trade Newspaper posed as a restaurant owner and contacted several food sellers on Facebook to buy a large quantity of young chicken eggs. After just a few minutes of texting, the seller quickly responded and confirmed that the goods were always available, with a retail price of 125,000 - 170,000 VND/kg depending on the type. If you buy a large quantity of over 5kg, the price will be even lower.

The seller also guarantees that the eggs are fresh, refrigerated, and can be delivered the same day. When asked about inspection documents or the origin of the product, this person only gave a general answer : "We get these products from a familiar farm, ensuring freshness and deliciousness, and restaurant customers order them regularly." However, he absolutely could not provide any certificates of quality or food safety inspection.

Unripe chicken eggs of unknown origin were seized by authorities in Hanoi. Photo: Hanoi Market Management Department

After the recent controversial case of se-tau-tau, many consumers said they were starting to be confused about the origin of the young chicken eggs being sold on the market. Mr. Minh Tuan (District 3, Ho Chi Minh City) shared: “I really like eating young chicken eggs because this dish tastes delicious and is easy to prepare. However, after the recent scandal of se-tau, I started to feel worried every time I saw young chicken eggs being sold on the market without any accompanying documents or certificates.”

Ms. Huyen Trang, a consumer in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, also said: “I often buy young chicken eggs to prepare dishes for my family, but now that I see that the vendors do not have any certification, I do not dare to buy them anymore. Buying food without clear information and without quality control is very dangerous.”

Health experts have also warned about the potential risks of consuming food of unknown origin, especially poultry organs and young chicken eggs. If not properly preserved and handled, these foods can easily be contaminated with E. coli, Salmonella, Listeria... causing serious food poisoning with symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, high fever, and even life-threatening.

In addition, the use of chemicals to keep young chicken eggs fresh for a long time under unsafe transportation and storage conditions is also a major risk to consumers' health, especially the risk of causing chronic diseases, including liver and kidney diseases and cancer if consumed for a long time.

Faced with the situation of uncooked chicken eggs of unknown origin being sold widely in the market and online markets, many experts and consumers have suggested that the authorities need to strengthen inspection and strictly control the business of this item. At the same time, strictly handle violations, ensuring a source of clean and safe food for the people.

Consumers are also advised to only buy young chicken eggs and poultry products at reputable establishments with clear certificates of origin and full quality inspection to protect the health of themselves and their families.

On May 5, 2025, Team 7 of the Economic Police Department, Hanoi City Police coordinated with Market Management Team No. 17, Hanoi Market Management Department to inspect compliance with legal regulations in production and business at a food gathering point located at Km12, Ngoc Hoi Street, Vinh Quynh Commune, Thanh Tri District, Hanoi. This business point is owned by Le Hong Phong (born in 1983, hometown Dien Yen Commune, Dien Chau, Nghe An).

During the inspection, the authorities discovered and seized more than 7 tons of frozen food, including 2,560 kg of immature eggs, 3,050 kg of pork brains and 1,200 kg of pork intestines. All of these goods had no invoices or documents proving their legal origin. The total value of the infringing goods was estimated at more than 664 million VND.

Ngan Nga

Source: https://congthuong.vn/trung-ga-non-ban-tran-lan-nguoi-tieu-dung-hoang-mang-387024.html