Thai livestock department hits back at rumours of fake Chinese eggs

Thailand’s Department of Livestock is hitting back against rumours that the country is importing fake eggs from China. This is after a video went viral on social media showing a factory in China that makes ‘century eggs.’

The video’s text says the Chinese delicacy can be made with a variety of eggs including duck, chicken, or quail eggs. It then says the eggs are “dunked into a pool to marinate” in a mixture of “clay, salt, quicklime, and ash.”

However, the livestock department said that some netizens posted the video to create misunderstandings that the eggs are artificially made, and are being imported to Thailand to meet the high demand during Chinese New Year.

The department denied the rumours. It stated that there have been similar false rumours of fake eggs in the past. Each time such rumours have surfaced, the department has investigated, and clarified that there are no fake eggs available for consumption in Thailand, the department said.

The department added that artificial eggs are more expensive to produce than real farm eggs and that Thailand can produce large quantities of eggs to meet consumer demands. Therefore, there is no need for fake eggs in the country, the department said.

Lastly, the department advised consumers to buy eggs from reliable stores, or look for eggs with the “Livestock OK” sticker. The department said…

“Always check the expiration date before buying fresh eggs, and keep them at the temperature of 4 degrees Celsius, ideally in the egg compartment of your fridge, especially when you don’t plan to use them all in a few days.”

Back in 2020, a man in the northeast Nakhon Ratchasima province claimed that he had bought eggs from a fresh market that turned out to be fake. He said that when he cracked the eggs open, they had no smell, and the egg ‘whites’ were a powdery gel.

Time will tell what further developments unfold amidst Thailand’s ‘fake Chinese eggs’ rumour.