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10 reasons to steer clear of China's roadside BBQ stands
Staff Reporter 2013-07-27 14:56
Street kebabs — delicious but deadly? (Photo/CNS)
The website of the state-run China News Service earlier this week listed 10 potential risk of eating from roadside barbecue vendors in the wake of the case of a man who developed abnormal blood clotting after eating lamb skewers from a roadside stall. Tests revealed the presence of rat poison in his blood.
The report pointed out several instances of contaminated food sold by BBQ stalls and their side effects. First, some BBQ stands substitute lamb with low-quality beef or pork, which they soak in lamb fat and spices in order to make it smell and taste like lamb. Some vendors have even been known to add nitrite, a carcinogenic substance, to make the meat tender.
Second, some BBQ stands were also found to have substituted lamb with rat, cat or dog meat, with some of the meat possibly containing traces of the poison used to kill the animal. Recently, the ER at Beijing's Chaoyang Hospital received a patient who had developed abnormal blood clotting and whose blood tests revealed traces of rat poison. The patient said he had eaten "lamb" at a roadside BBQ stall shortly before developing symptoms.
In a third instance, the report stated that grilled meat was found to contain carcinogens. Charred meat should never be eaten because it contains cancer-causing substances. When the meat is grilled, it produces chemicals known as Heterocyclic amines (HCAs), and exposure to HCAs can cause cancer. The longer the meat is grilled, the more HCAs are produced.
Fourth, individuals eating meat that is not cooked thoroughly or meat of poor quality could become infected with parasites or Brucellosis. Infection with the latter can cause symptoms include fever, muscle pain and sweating.
As per to the fifth and sixth side-effects listed in the report, some BBQ stands re-use their skewers without sterilizing them. Moreover, many of the stand owners operate without a license and their hygiene and health standards are also questionable.
According to numbers seven and eight in the list, BBQ stands also create trash and litter sidewalks. To cut costs, many of the ingredients used by the stands come from unsanitary sources, with some even being industrial-grade ingredients.
The report further pointed out that some stand owners use illegal additives such as hydrogen peroxide and nitrite. In addition, most meat and ingredients are prepared in unhygienic factories where dirty water may be seen on the floor and unpackaged food products are infested with flies.
