THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With reports of artificial eggs being sold creating a scare, the food safety department said that they did not find any proof for the claim.Experts in the field too expressed doubts regarding reports on `Chinese fake eggs'.
Senior officials of food safety department said that they had collected samples of allegedly artificial eggs three months ago and had sent them to Centre of Excellence in Meat Science and Technology (CEMST) under Kerala Veterinary and Animal Science University , Mannuthy . However, the samples were found out to be real eggs.
"We saw several reports about fake eggs. But we are yet to get any proof that such eggs exist. We have contacted Ports department to check whether such eggs were imported to the country . We did not get confirma tion from food safety and standards authority of India either on presence of such eggs," said a senior food safety official.
George T Oommen, director of CEMST, confirmed that the samples alleged to be "Chinese fake eggs" turned out to be real following the tests conducted at their centre.
"The samples collected by food safety department from Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam had deformity . The yolks could not maintain consistency in shape once they were frozen.Most of these eggs might be frozen during transportation and hence the change in shape," he said. Referring to media reports of egg membranes getting burned when lighted, he said it is normal.
Oommen said that instead of panicking, people can check by themselves whether the egg is real or fake."Candling - a process of holding the egg above light in a dark room - is one method. We could clearly see the yolk and how it lies suspended in the egg. Boiled eggs too can be inspected. The eggs have special features like an air sack on one end, which gets bigger as it gets older. There will be various layers in an egg, which is impossible to be produced artificially," he said.
Though there were several reports about artificial eggs on Thursday, food safety department was unable to collect samples and co-ordinate activities due to hartal.
"We have been running egg wholesale business for many years and have not come across artificial eggs.We think that the news going the rounds about Chinese eggs is fake," said A Sudheer, owner of Mallissery Egg Store, Nadakkavu, Kozhikode He said that alarmed by news reports, some customers have started enquiring whether the eggs are original.
"I also came across such misguiding posts in social networking sites but I am not convinced about the claims. We bring eggs from farms in Namakkal and we have not received any complaint from the customers so far," he said.
Fake rice scare
Similar to fake eggs, reports of plastic rice being sold at various shops also surfaced in Kerala earlier in 2015. The rice, allegedly made in China, was said to be made of plastic.However, the food and safety department despite numerous inspections could not confirm the same.
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