Imported bird's nest passed off as Vietnamese bird's nest is becoming increasingly common
Not only are there sophisticated tricks for making counterfeit bird's nest. Many agents and individuals also import cheap bird's nest from Malaysia and Indonesia and pass it off as Vietnamese bird's nest to sell at a high price. These two countries reportedly produce 800 to 2,000 kg of bird's nest each year. Some factories use H2O2 (a chemical that may cause cancer) to remove the smell of the nest, and use SO2 and SO3 to whiten it…
The quality of imported bird's nest cannot match Vietnamese bird's nest. But because the import price is cheap, businesses and stores import it to sell at a high price. Consumers who are not careful will find it hard to tell the difference.
Sophisticated technology for counterfeiting bird's nest
The most common tricks for making counterfeit bird's nest today include white nest dyed into red bird's nest, padded nest (broken nests patched together, with starch or chemical sugar added to refined nest), nest made from starch, and misting to increase weight…
The process of counterfeiting bird's nest is also extremely sophisticated:
– The nest is taken, feathers and impurities are removed, and it is cut into small pieces. Then it is soaked in water and then in bleach to make it white, and rinsed with boiling water to remove some of the smell.
– After a few hours, the nest is taken out, left to drain and put into boiling water again to get rid of the smell of bleach.
– These nest crumbs are put into moulds, formed into nests and dried for a day and a night. The finished products come in many shapes such as leaf-shaped, round, long…
– To counterfeit red bird's nest (or special nest sold at a higher price), yellow and red dye is added.
Experts' opinions on the problem of counterfeit bird's nest
Dr. Lê Quang Trí (Faculty of Food Technology, Saigon Technology University) said: "Although SO2 is used as a disinfectant against yeast, mould and bacteria in the environment, or to bleach colour in the sugar, paper and pulp industries, its content must follow regulations, ensuring residue stays within the permitted range so as not to affect users' health."
Dr. Trần Thị Minh Hạnh (Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Nutrition Centre) also said that using bleach to whiten bird's nest can damage the stomach and intestinal lining, and if absorbed into the blood it will badly affect other organs such as the liver and kidneys… While the bird's nest market is still a mix of good and bad, consumers need to know how to protect themselves.
How to tell genuine bird's nest from counterfeit
Yến Sào Sài Gòn already has a detailed article on how to tell genuine from counterfeit bird's nest. Here are some points to note when buying bird's nest:
– Colour: Genuine white nest is an ivory-cloudy colour, sometimes slightly yellowish; when soaked in water, taken out and left to dry, it turns clear white. Counterfeit nest is usually bright white and does not change colour when soaked in water. Red bird's nest is usually red or orange, with a rough surface and a pleasant, slightly fishy scent of sea water, while counterfeit red nest is dark red, strongly fishy, and the colour runs red when soaked in water…
– Smell: Genuine bird's nest has a fishy taste and a musty smell, which disappears when dried. Counterfeit bird's nest usually has a strong, pungent smell.
– Shape: Soak a little bird's nest in water: counterfeit nest turns mushy on contact with water. Genuine nest strands stay intact when soaked or cooked.
– Testing methods:
+ Testing with solutions: With iodine, counterfeit bird's nest turns blue. Counterfeit red nest dyed with iron oxide turns dark when dipped in tea.
+ Soaking in water: Counterfeit nest dyed with food colouring loses its colour and dissolves in water, while genuine nest does not change colour even when cooked in boiling water.
Where to buy quality, reputable bird's nest?
To avoid buying poor-quality products, you should only buy bird's nest from reputable brands. The simplest way is to contact Yến Sào Sài Gòn right away for advice on suitable products. With more than 10 years in operation, Yến Sào Sài Gòn has supplied hundreds of thousands of customers with hundreds of thousands of quality-assured products. We guarantee that all our bird's nest products are processed in a closed-loop process, ensuring 100% genuine bird's nest, with no additives, no preservatives and no cleaning agents.
Yến Sào Sài Gòn guarantees products that are safe for the health of you and your loved ones.