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KFC Chicken Wings in China, Complete with Deep-Fried Feathers

Posted: 12/16/2014 3:46 pm

kfc chicken feathersA KFC diner in Shaanxi was surprised to bite down and discover her fried chicken wing still had feathers attached to it.

READ: Guangzhou Woman Finds Live Worms in Her KFC

Miss Gao was eating at the popular fast-food chain with her friends on December 10 when she came across a strange-looking chicken wing. She said it was larger than average and had deep-fried tendrils coming out of it. She then notified staff, and the media.

A KFC company representative confirmed that the wing still had feathers, but blamed the company’s suppliers for the mistake.

kfc chicken feathersNow the local Qindu District food and drug inspection agency is investigating, and will look at the operation of the restaurant, cold storage, and how raw ingredients are prepared.

READ: More trouble for KFC: Foshan man drinks beetle found in his milk tea

It hasn’t been a good year for western fast food outlets in China, and KFC in particular. Earlier this year, KFC, McDonalds, and Pizza Hut were hit by a food safety scandal when their supplier, Husi Foods, was discovered using expired meat products.

kfc chicken feathersKFC hasn’t fully recovered since the scandal. The fast-food chain suffered a 15 percent drop in sales in November. As a result of the sales slump, KFC said it will push ahead with plans to revamp the menu and prices.

READ: Amid Sales Decline, KFC Transforms Menu for Chinese Tastes

kfc chicken feathers

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Photos: CCTV, China Commerce Network

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Free Live Chicken Giveaway Causes Frenzy That Not Even iPhone Can Match

Posted: 09/22/2014 5:34 pm

chicken free for all guangxi

To celebrate the opening of a new building in Guangxi Province, a giveaway of free, live chickens was held for local residents, reports MSN. Chickens aren’t usually given away for free, so word spread far and wide. So far that around a thousand residents converged on the building in Nanning yesterday morning (September 21).

chicken free for all guangxi

There were markings for people to line-up, but those were quickly ignored. It devolved into a lawless free-for-all. The mob’s insatiable demand for free, live chickens resulted in the toppling of a tent, causing many people to fall to the ground. After 15 minutes, the only thing left were some scattered feathers and shoes lost in the scuffle.

No one was injured from the melee.

chicken free for all guangxi

For some Chinese, happiness is a new iPhone 6. For others willing to contend with unruly crowds and wanton disorder, there is happiness to be had at this giveaway—at least for those lucky to have gotten a free live chicken of their own.

chicken free for all guangxichicken free for all guangxichicken free for all guangxichicken free for all guangxichicken free for all guangxi

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Photos: Southern Capital Report

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New Avian Flu Cases Bring Total to 3 Since Live Poultry Ban in Guangdong

Posted: 05/19/2014 12:05 pm

bird flu guangdong avian h7n9Two new cases of avian flu in Guangdong Province bring the total to three since a trial ban on provincial live poultry markets was first initiated at the beginning of May.

The two cases of avian flu were confirmed by the Guangdong Provincial Health and Family Planning Commission on their official website on May 17.

The report stated a positive confirmation for the H7N9 virus was made on May 15 on an 86 year-old patient surnamed Liu, originally from Meizhou, who currently lives in Pingyuan County, Meizhou.

Another patient, a 37 year-old man from Zhongshan surnamed Wu, was positively identified with the virus on May 16.

Both patients are hospitalized and are in serious condition.

The third case of avian flu to strike since the pilot program to ban live poultry markets was initiated is a 50 year-old Zhongshan man surnamed Liang who was positively diagnosed with the H7N9 virus on May 9.

A total of seven cases of avian flu were reported on May 1 and all throughout April in Guangdong Province.

The poultry ban replaces the closure of live poultry markets with a supply of chickens that are slaughtered and processed at a centralized location before being frozen and shipped out to markets for consumption.

The Guangzhou pilot program of the ban that began at the beginning of May initially encountered resistance from locals.

A survey revealed 38 percent of Guangzhou residents are not in favor of closing the live poultry markets, while 66 percent of residents believe that frozen chicken will compromise the taste and flavor of cooked chicken dishes.

Photo: forum.china

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First Case of Avian Flu Reported in Guangdong Since Live Poultry Ban

Posted: 05/10/2014 1:39 pm

bird fluThe Guangdong Provincial Health and Family Planning Commission has confirmed a new case of avian flu, reports their official website on May 9.

A 50 year-old Zhongshan man surnamed Liang, a resident currently living in Henglan village, was positively diagnosed with the H7N9 virus on May 9. Suffering from a chronic kidney disease, the patient is currently in critical condition at a Zhongshan hospital.

Prior cases of avian flu in Guangdong include a May 1 confirmed diagnosis of the H7N9 virus of a 53 year-old female patient from Luohu District in Shenzhen named Zhong, and a April 20 diagnosis of a 55 year-old patient named Wang from Shantou. 

Guangdong experienced an avian flu outbreak of five cases at the beginning of April.

In other developments, a Guangzhou patient named He that contracted the virus on April 8 has been cured and was released on April 23, while a patient named Zhou diagnosed on April 24 passed away of respiratory illness on May 4.

The May 9 report marks the first reported case of avian flu in Guangdong to occur since a six-month trial ban upon live poultry markets was first initiated in the city of Guangzhou on May 4.

The ban replaces the closure of live poultry markets by supplying chickens that are slaughtered and processed at a centralized location before being frozen and shipped out to markets for consumption.

Residents have been resistant to the new plan with sellers complaining of low sales, and few repeat customers. A black market selling live poultry has now been rumored to exist.

A recent survey revealed 38 percent of Guangzhou residents are not in favor of closing the live poultry markets, while 66 percent of residents believe that frozen chicken will compromise the taste and flavor of cooked chicken dishes.

Guangdong residents have proven themselves resilient at the threat of avian flu. In April 2013, Guangdonger were photographed transporting live chicken purchases as bird culls and avian flu threats substantially lower the price of chickens.

In related news, 20,000 chickens at a farm in Pinggu, Beijing have died suddenly, though preliminary reports say that avian flu has been ruled out as a cause.

More than 120 people in China had been killed by the H7N9 strain of avian influenza as of April 21, reports Xinhua News.

Photo: Hexun

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Guangzhou Customers Reject Frozen Chickens

Posted: 05/7/2014 7:37 pm

The initiative to supply Guangzhou consumers with frozen chicken instead of operating live poultry markets has encountered resistance in just its second day of operation.

Chickens were only available in 22 percent of the markets, while no ducks or geese were on sale at all. 

Liwan District, one of the trial areas, was reported to have few markets to offer any chicken for sale at all amid customer complaints.

A seller named Mr Huang stated that he wanted more stock of frozen chickens at better quality so that he can offer a range of prices, while another seller said:

“The market is dependent upon the customer. Yesterday, we had customers come try out the frozen chicken, but today we don’t have any repeat customers. I’m really worried if I’m able to continue to sell anymore chickens.”

As if to punctuate the demand for the now prohibited live chickens, a black market poultry market is rumored to be in operation.

Planned as a contingency to reduce the risk of spreading the H7N9 virus, consumers are still skeptical at the decision to ban poultry markets if but just for the difference in taste. A recent survey revealed 38 percent of residents are not in favor of closing the live poultry markets, while 66 percent of residents believe that frozen chicken will compromise the taste and flavor of cooked chicken dishes.

Despite this preference to keeping live poultry markets open, the most recent case of avian flu in Guangdong Province occurred on May 1. A Shenzhen 53 year-old woman named Zhong was positively identified with the H7N9 virus.

Sellers are not able to sell chickens to customers that won’t buy, and customers not able to buy chickens from sellers who don’t have any in stock. While we know this as “chicken and the egg”, it seems that not being able to buy chicken 买鸡 is a problem that Guangzhou residents now share with residents in Dongguan.

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Guangzhou shutters live poultry markets amid bird flu scare

Posted: 02/17/2014 11:03 am

Guangzhou has decided to close its live poultry markets to prevent the spread of bird flu in the city. The city announced that all live poultry markets would be closed from last Thursday (February 13) to the 28th, according to Xinhua.

The Jiangcun Poultry Wholesale Market is the biggest and busiest market in Southern China and most of the stalls were closed when a reporter visited on the 14th. Mr. Qin, who sells live ducks, said the closure is impacting everyone in the poultry business. “The closure is probably costing me RMB50 to RMB60 thousand. Although the market is closed, I still need to pay the rent, electricity and water.

“I can’t earn any money in these two weeks. Moreover, I will be worrying about losing my old customers. At the same time last year, ducks sold for RMB5 or RMB6 per jin [a unit of measurement in China], now it’s only RMB2 or RMB3 per jin. We sold more than 1.000 ducks, but now we sell 500 at most.”

Jiang Yongquan, a manager at Jiangcun, said the market has 140 stalls and sales are down by about 50% compared to last year.

Unfortunately these live poultry businesses will probably be suffering for a while yet. Beijing Business Daily reported on February 11 that the poultry industry has suffered direct losses of RMB20 billion so far as a result of bird flu. With the disease continuing to spread, there’s no word on when confidence will return to the market.

Home page photo credit: China Daily

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H7N9 found at Shenzhen wet markets, business continues as usual

Posted: 12/13/2013 9:24 am

In a case where business interests may have overtaken health concerns, many Shenzhen wet markets remain open and chickens on sale despite tests showing H7N9 bird flu had infected some of the poultry.

Chickens at 13 wet markets have been tested by Guangdong authorities, with three samples coming back positive from two wet markets in the city. Both markets, Kangqiao and Henggang, are in Longgang District.  You’d think this would cause a shutdown of the poultry stalls, at least temporarily. But alas, it has not. Here’s Bloomberg:

The 12 live poultry stalls at the Hengan Paibang market in Longgan district, one of the markets where authorities found a positive sample, were open today.

The stalls get their chickens from the Buji Poultry Wholesale Market in Longgan, according to the market’s manager.

“There’s been no order yet to shut down,” said Zhang Jinghui, manager of the Paibang market. “We need to wait for instructions from the village committee. We are disinfecting the stalls everyday.”

Huang Weihua, whose stall had samples tested positive for H7N9, said he sold two chickens today, down from 30 to 40 daily.

Kangqiao was also open as of 9am yesterday. The South China Morning Post has this:

As of noon on Thursday, live poultry trading continued as normal at several wet markets across Shenzhen.

“No one told us to stop selling chickens. We feel worried (about the disease) but we have to make a living,” a female vendor said at a wet market in Bao’an district.

There is a modicum of good news here. Since yesterday, chicken stalls at Kangqiao have been ordered to close for three days. However, all others remain open, including the one in Longgang, despite the positive test results.

How bad could this get? Ben Cowling, an associate professor of infectious disease epidemiology at the University of Hong Kong’s school of public health, said “It’s likely that H7N9 virus infection among poultry in live markets may be more widespread in Shenzhen.”

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Chickens test positive for bird flu in Dongguan

Posted: 04/29/2013 6:17 pm

It appears a particular strain of bird flu has arrived in Dongguan.

Officials in the city have moved swiftly to prevent a spread of the H7 virus after a batch of chickens tested positive for the strain.

They were keen to stress the H7 virus is not H7N9, which is a sub-group that has been spreading in China. This particular strain was discovered during routine tests on chickens in the city’s wholesale poultry market.

Here’s what Luo Qifang, deputy director of the city’s Bureau of Agriculture, said according to SCMP.

We ordered the closure and sterilisation of local poultry markets on Friday after cases were reported in Hunan and Jiangxi.

It’s the first trace of the virus strain reaching Guangdong. The number of infected people nationwide has reached 124, including 23 deaths. It has spread as far as Taiwan.

The decision to order a cull comes after Chinese premier Li Keqiang made a visit to the headquarters of the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in Beijing.

He urged the public to be on alert for any fresh developments in H7N9, including what officials fear is mutation that’s easily transmissible between humans.

Here’s what he told reporters, as retold by SCMP:

It’s a new bird flu virus, and we are still far from getting all of the information about it … meanwhile, we should try our best to reduce fatalities and release true data and information to the public.

Little is still known about the effects H7N9 has to humans.

The World Health Organisation are still investigating what’s causing the transmission but say there’s no indication that H7N9 passes through humans or with animals.

Image: SCMP

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