What is really a 100% pure bird’s nest
In pursuit of higher prices, most of these operators strive to maintain the original nest shape. But in doing so, they sacrifice the purity of the nests. By retaining the original shape, they often leave behind many fine feathers. Unknown to most bird nest consumers, these feathers contain trace amounts of arsenic.
The Malaysian Veterinary Department oversees the quality control of bird nest exports. Samples of 25 grams each are sent for analysis of E coli, Coliforms, Salmonella sp and other substances. I have been informed that this bird nest company failed all five tests.
Why is this story so important?
This company cited is just one of many whose practitioners learned the trade of cleaning birds’ nests from unqualified teachers. They were taught to remove the feathers and keep the shape of the nest as original as possible, so that they look good and retain the value. But at what cost to hygiene?
They ignored the presence of bacteria and viruses. In addition to my investigations, I found out from test samples in a lab (Permulab Sdn Bhd, do you need to mention this?) that the protein level had dropped from 57.4% to 3.02%. The cause of this sharp drop is due to the use of hydrogen peroxide as a bleaching agent that destroys amino acids and other health-inducing minerals. Hydrogen peroxide is now widely used to bleach the stubborn little black feathers left inside the nests. By artificially bleaching, the feathers appear to be part of the nest that does not need to be opened and therefore lose their value.
To compound these problems, many doctors add preservatives such as boric acid, potassium sulfite, or even sulfur dioxide as preservatives.
What can we conclude about the 100% pure bird’s nest preparation?
1. Those involved in such work must have the highest levels of integrity and not just take shortcuts or seek profit only.
2. No bleaching agent should be used.
3. It should be condom-free
4. No additives should be added
5. Must be tested for bacterial and virus counts.
6. Moisture content should be less than 10%
7. It must be free of feathers and other contaminants.