Wet Market- Chicken & others?

[bhav3011]

Hello All- I have been eating wet market veggies and Chicken/meat. Just wanted to get your opinion if it is safe to eat since someone just warned me on the pesticides/steroids in food. Does it effect development of the baby or these are unnecessary precautions? are u stickign to only organic chicken?

 

[charade]

I ate chicken, veggies etc. from the wet market and Park N Shop during my last pregnancy and during my current one. I suppose organic everything is better but I can't afford it.

 

[carang]

i, personally, would never buy meat from the wet market. i don't like that it is not refrigerated and that much of the time the butchers have cigarettes hanging out of their mouths and the flies.... yuck.

but i have no problem with veg/fruit.

i buy all of our meat from a frozen meat wholesaler. it is all imported and we are very happy with the quality and the price cannot be beat!

 

[ssheng]

Hi Carang - would you mind passing me the info for this frozen meat wholesale contact? We have been struggling with our food bills (well, psychologically struggling) and the cost of chicken is definitely a major factor. Thank you!!

 

[carang]

i use one in sai kung, but they are dotted around hk.

i buy enough meat (whole chickens, chicken breasts, fillets & wings, baby back ribs, beef tenderloin, pork loin, whole gammon ham to name a little) to about 5 weeks at a time. it usually costs me about $1000

 

[howardcoombs]

Yes, food in Hong Kong is safe to eat along with the water being safe to drink. Like many other civilized countries and cities our government regularly tests these to ensure safety. Furthermore, as there are significant portions of the population shops at wet markets and drinks tap water, we would know very quickly if there were problems in the supply chain.

Problems do happen from time to time (eg: Ecoli in Germany and USA this year) but governments are usually pretty quick in tracking down the issues.

There are many who will not buy from wetmarkets and wont drink from the taps. When asked for reasons, the reply will usually be due to personal bias and preference as opposed to scientifically determined harm.

 

[carang]

please note: i never said eating local food was dangerous. i said that i find the meat at the wet market icky.

 

[howardcoombs]

Carang, clearly you didnt but there are plenty out there (eg : The OPs friend) who love spreading FUD.

There are also plenty of hypocrites out there who will refuse to buy food from country xxxx, but will gladly buy food from USA (plenty of tainted food cases), Brazil (plenty of drugged beef), Europe (tons of badly treated Chickens and pork).

Bottom line is : Hong Kong is just as safe (or just as unsafe depending on your view) as any/many other western countries when it comes to food sources.

As for wetmarkets being icky, I guess it depends on your upbringing and background and what you are used to...To me, Hong Kong wetmarkets are surprisingly clean and hygienic places..

 

[carang]

i spent years on a farm and my father hunts (used to skin/cut the meat in our basement!)... what i don't like is what i said above.

 

[nicolejoy]

I eat whatever food from anywhere. I figure, if you like any of the "local restaurants" it probably all comes from those kinds of places anyway right? And like HC said, MANY MANY people buy food from those places and if there was a problem, we should be sure to hear about it.