
GROSS! New Yorkers Busted for Smuggling Illegal Animal Intestines
Ever found yourself craving the taste of exotic animal intestines, but feeling let down by the limited options here in the U.S.?
Well, try not to lose your lunch, but in one of the grosser news stories you'll hear this year, six New Yorkers were charged with illegally importing goose and duck intestines from China. The intestines were apparently packed in crates marked "pet nail clippers" and hidden under packaged rattlesnakes... which I guess is as good a place as any to hide some animal intestines, because who's gonna check under that?
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Federal agents from the U.S. Department of Agriculture apparently did. It's those folks who monitor the meat and poultry trade to ensure that imports of that caliber are safe.
The confiscated "goods" -- if you consider animal intestines goods -- were red flagged as they came into Los Angeles loaded on a shipping container. They were then going to be rerouted to New York City where the charged men intended to distribute them to restaurants and shops.
Animal products imported from China are strictly limited to catfish and "heat-treated/cooked" poultry products, according to the filing.
So what did these people want with the intestines? It's not uncommon for organ meat like this to be used in hot pot meals in authentic Chinese cuisine. Duck and goose intestines are considered a delicacy over pork because they're "lighter" and "crunchier," according to an article from Shanghai Daily.
Hey, to each their own. It's not our place to disparage food from other cultures. But it really makes you think twice before engaging in the illegal animal intestine trade.
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