Bill Scher: Is Your Moo Shu Safe?

[marmar]

from OurFuture.org:



Is Your Moo Shu Safe?
Bill Scher

January 14th, 2008 - 3:32pm ET


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In an act of small bravery, I got Chinese take-out from Hunan Gourmet last night.

Hunan Gourmet has long been one of the most popular Chinese restaurants in my area of Western Massachusetts. But last month, it suffered scandalous press after a take-out order of vegetarian moo shu had in it what appeared to be a rodent limb. Business has since dropped 70%.

But our local Daily Hampshire Gazette reported on Friday (sub. req'd) that the restaurant owners are likely not to blame.

What apparently is? Imported food from China.

That animal part had to have come from a supplier outside,' said Northampton Health Agent Ernest J. Mathieu, shortly before touring the restaurant's kitchen with a Gazette reporter on Tuesday. The kitchen appeared clean and well organized.

...

Industry experts say there is a strong possibility that a small animal limb could wind up in a canned product shipped from China.

Oh, of Iowa State, said he's seen several legal cases revolving around foreign objects, including small animal parts, found in canned food supplies.

Barring any foul play, 'I think canned goods is the strongest possibility,' Oh said. 'If it happened in processing, it is hard to blame them.'

As the restaurant's practices are not in question, and the story said it changed suppliers, I saw no reason not to give them back my business.

But knowing how pathetic food and product safety has been in the current conservative White House, I am left wondering: how much unsafe imported food is being served in restaurants of all cuisines across America?

http://www.ourfuture.org/blog-entry/your-moo-shu-safe

[IdesOfOctober]

1. Waiter, may I have the Lame Duck Sauce, please, slathered? K+R

[Warpy]

2. I use canned stuff from China

like straw mushrooms and Szechuan pickled veg and I always pick them over to make sure there aren't any surprises in there. I expect beetle carcases and such, not dismembered rodent parts.

However, everything nasty has been killed by the canning process. I'd probably just pick it out like the Chinese do.

Once on a cross country bus trip with my mother, we had a layover where the bus station had a restaurant. My exhausted mother ordered a cup of coffee. The coffee arrived with a roach floating in it. She calmly fished out the roach and drank the coffee.

We can stand a whole lot more than we think we can, especially if boiling water or a canning process has been part of the action.

[Bonobo]

3. This is where I live. I will never forget the photo of the rat's paw. Ask me anything.

[JackintheGreen]

4. Anything?

OK, I lives in the valley for about ten years just before the turn of the millennium (and boyojeez, do I miss it...), and I never liked that place. Now, the Greek place on Main that got sold back in 96-97 that my now wife was sure was a drug- front, that place was good!...but anyway, we always preferred to place in Amherst on Rt. 9 near the Stop and Shop that had a fantastic buffet on Saturdays.

So, to my question: was that place called China Dynasty, and is it still any good?

[Bonobo]

5. China Dynasty, it's still there. But I never ate there.

Mr rec for Chinese in the area goes to the Great Wall in Williamsburg and to Zen on Main St.

Hunan Gourmet has new owners. They just bought it 6 months before the rat paw fiasco.