Suspected fake chicken eggs cause alarm in Nong Khai
Residents report unnatural texture, smell, and colour
Residents in the Isaan province of Nong Khai sought clarification from the relevant government department, claiming that a Thai couple tricked them into buying fake chicken eggs.
A 42 year old Thai man, Jatuphon Phusri, contacted news agencies to report that he and other residents of the Non Phu Khao Thong community in the Rattana Wapee district were deceived by two egg vendors. The vendors arrived in their community in an SUV on Tuesday, May 13, offering cheap chicken eggs for sale.
Jatuphon explained that the couple sold large chicken eggs for only 130 baht per tray (30 eggs). The eggshells were white in colour and appeared cracked. The vendors told buyers that these were not regular eggs, but eggs from meat-bred chickens, which were supposedly larger.
Around 30 families in the community purchased one or two trays of eggs each. However, they later hesitated to consume them due to their unusual characteristics.
When locals boiled the eggs, they discovered that the egg whites had a strange jelly-like texture, while the yolks were slippery and emitted a musty smell. Some reported that the yolks were darker in colour than those of the eggs they usually consumed.
Jatuphon believed the vendors tricked them into buying counterfeit eggs made from gelatin, plastic, or other synthetic substances. He suspected that the cracks in the shells were actually joints between pieces of fake eggshell.
According to Jatuphon, some residents returned the eggs and requested refunds. The vendors agreed to refund the money and quickly departed the area.
ThaiRath reported that journalists collected two eggs from the residents for testing by the relevant government departments.
A professor from the Department of Biology at the Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, and a well-known science communicator, Jessada Denduangboripant, shared his thoughts on the matter via his Facebook account today, May 15.
Jessada stated that, in his opinion, the eggs appeared genuine, but were likely old or expired. He noted that manufacturing fake eggs from gelatin, plastic, or other substances would not be cost-effective, as the production cost would far exceed the price of ordinary eggs.
He also mentioned that some internet users claimed eggs from meat-breed chickens were of lower quality than those from layer chickens, although he could not confirm whether this was true.
Latest Thailand News
Follow The Thaiger on Google News:
