Tag Archives: donkey meat

Let them eat ass, say Egypt’s food safety officials

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Donkey meat, though “disgusting”, is perfectly safe to consume, according to the head of the Egyptian Food Safety Authority, as food prices continue to rocket and grocery bills mount up.

donkeyAs long as the beast has been slaughtered hygienically, it is perfectly safe to eat donkey meat, Egypt’s top food safety official has announced.

And cooked to the proper temperature – whatever that is.

The statement is the latest twist in an ongoing food scandal in Egypt, as fears grow that donkey meat has been passed off as beef to unsuspecting shoppers.

“Donkey meat is exactly the same as any other meat,” Hussein Mansour told an Egyptian TV channel. “It is only harmful if it is slaughtered using unhygienic methods – but it is disgusting, and some religions do not allow its consumption.”

The official attempted to downplay public fears, saying the beast of burden – as well as dog meat – had long been eaten by blissfully unaware Egyptians.

“If you’ve eaten donkey by mistake, have no fears, nothing will happen,” said Mansour.

“Two scientific studies have shown that donkey and dog meat have been sold in minced meat and ready-made sandwiches for ages. It looks and tastes just like any other meat – even I can’t tell the difference.”

Local news reported last week that Egyptian police raided a farm in Fayoum, which was found to be raising donkeys for human consumption. A drove of 1,500 live and 30 slaughtered donkeys were reportedly seized from the farm.

The owner of the donkey farm, reportedly still in police custody, claims the animals were being raised to feed lions in circuses around Cairo.

You call that a donkey? It’s a fox, mate; Walmart recalls donkey meat after DNA of fox discovered by China’s FDA

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In further evidence that food fraud continues to be a huge problem, despite DNA testing, Walmart has recalled donkey meat after the DNA of other animals was discovered in the meat during an inspection by China’s Food and Drug Administration.

The meat was sold in China under the label of “Five Spice” donkey meat.

Walmart will reimburse the consumers for their purchases of the recalled donkey meat, donkey.meataccording to NBC News on Jan. 2.

Walmart is also cooperating with authorities in their investigation into the Chinese food supplier who shipped the meat to Walmart. Gaining the trust of the Chinese people around offering quality in their products is important today as Walmart plans to open 110 new stores in China in the next few years.

The new stores are part of the retail and grocery giant’s latest bid to get a sizable piece of China’s $1 trillion food and grocery market today. Selling tainted donkey meat doesn’t fare well for the chain when it comes to the wealthy shoppers, suggests Shaun Rein, the managing director of the China Market Research Group.

Donkey meat probably doesn’t appeal to the majority of the population in the U.S., but it is a favorite among the Chinese people as snack. The donkey meat market only accounts for a small fraction of the meat sold in China, but much like U.S. citizens, folks in China want to trust that they are buying what the label indicates. Shoppers want to purchase the product without worrying it could be tainted with an unwanted ingredient.