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Thursday, July 5, 2018

Common Tricks and How to spot Fake Bird’s Nest Soup

Bird’s Nest Soup is becoming more popular, however, many places sell those low quality nests, damaging consumer's confident and health resulting in negative views of the Bird’s Nest Soup industry in general. In recent years, there has been increasing reports of fake Bird’s Nest Soups. This article aims to provide useful information to help customers identify the common types of fraud when buying nests.

1. Adding salt, sugar or other agents to increase weight

Through our survey, we found that the majority of Bird’s Nest Soup available for sale are glazed with either salt, sugar or other additives to increase weight, often up to 40%. Imagine you pay $100 for 100g of nests but in reality you only get 60% of real nest while the remaining 40% is sugar. That means you pay $40 for 40g sugar!!! Just when you thought you got a good deal, you are actually paying more for the same amount of authentic Bird’s Nest Soup. Not only that, the unknown additives used in the making of fake Bird’s Nest Soup could be carcinogens. Moreover, these unknown mixture of Bird’s Nest Soup are highly susceptible to pathogenic bacteria and molds that could seriously damage your health.

*** How to tell:

+ Pure authentic Bird’s Nest Soup: if you were to lick it, it would be tasteless, similar to licking a rice noddle. When you pick it up, it is light, brittle, and inflexible (even when exposed to air for a long time). It is prone to fracture even to light touches.
+ Bird’s Nest Soup glazed with salt, sugar or other additives:
- Break off a small piece and chew it, you will find it sweet (or salty). Sometime you can even taste the sweetness or saltiness by just licking the Bird’s Nest Soup, especially when large amount s of additives were used. Another way to detect fake Bird’s Nest Soup is to taste the water that was used to soak the Bird’s Nest Soup in. If the water become sweet or salty then the Bird’s Nest Soup were tampered with.
- The glazed Bird’s Nest Soup are usually more flexible because the additives make the strands soft and bendy. These fake nests are highly susceptible to pathogenic bacteria and molds. They will often darken with prolonged exposure to air. This change in color is indicative of the Bird’s Nest Soup was glazed with some type of sweetener. In addition, the fake nests become iridescent under shining lights.

2. Red Nests

There are usually 3 categories of fake red Bird’s Nest Soup:
- Normal food coloring -> easily detectable upon soaking in water as the dye will leak out of the Bird’s Nest Soup
- Industrial dyes -> hard to detect as the dyes won't leak when soaked in water
- Chemical reactions turning Bird’s Nest Soup from white to red. This is when Bird’s Nest Soups are put in the manure/compost pit, which contains NH3. Under the proper conditions, a chemical reaction will occur changing the Bird’s Nest Soup from white to red. Check out this YouTube video.
When done properly (UNCOMMON), even though the Bird’s Nest Soup changed from red to white, the quality remains unchanged meaning these red nests have no additional nutritional values unlike the authentic red Bird’s Nest Soup made naturally by the swiftlets in sea caves. However, the price difference is significant. Authentic red Bird’s Nest Soup are priced 5-10x more than the white couterparts. Moreover, when incubated in the manure or compost pit, Bird’s Nest Soup can become contaminated with nitrite, which increases the risk of cancer upon prolonged consumption.
Nowadays, the market is flooded with these fake red Bird’s Nest Soup, often very cheap to attract uninformed customers. We found that some stores even give 20g free samples of red Bird’s Nest Soup with purchase of 100g white ones. How is that possible when red Bird’s Nest Soup worth 10x the price of the white ones? Be a smart consumer! Think twice before spending your hard-earned money buying toxins that could be detrimental to your health.

*** How to tell:

Authentic red Bird’s Nest Soup carries the essence of the sea. Any one who has ever been to the ocean knows that the ocean air smells different. It has that distinct smell of the water, salt, sun and sand. Authentic red Bird’s Nest Soup has that same smell because it was exposed to the same elements. It has to be soak for a long time (2-3 hours) to become soft and the recommended cooking time is 2-3 hours compared to 30-45 minutes for the house Bird’s Nest Soup.

3. Fresh Bird’s Nest Soup

Fresh Bird’s Nest Soup are ones that have been soaked in water to clean out the debris but have NOT been through the drying stages. Hence, fresh Bird’s Nest Soup contain a large amount of water, ie weight of Bird’s Nest Soup and plus weight of water. It's impossible to assess whether you get a good deal as it's very difficult to know how much water fresh Bird’s Nest Soup contains.
There are rumors that fresh Bird’s Nest Soup is better than dried ones. That is NOT true. When it comes to nutritional value, fresh and dried Bird’s Nest Soup are the same. Smaller produces do not have adequate equipment for drying Bird’s Nest Soup so they spread such rumors for their benefits. And as we mentioned earlier, the customer usually lose when buying fresh Bird’s Nest Soup as it is nearly impossible to determine the amount of water inside. One way to check is to dry fresh Bird’s Nest Soup with fans then you can determine how much you actually pay for Bird’s Nest Soup vs water. Be an informed consumer and don't pay for water!
For your peace of mind, Hello Nest's food processing facilities are registered with the FDA. We are also licensed by the USDA and US Fish & Wildlife Services. We only uses Bird’s Nest Soups from small family farms that employ environmentally friendly and sustainable practices. Our Bird’s Nest Soup is 100% natural product and does not contain any chemical contaminant making it a premium product.
Unlike other manufacturers, we buy the Bird’s Nest Soups directly from the farmers and clean & package in our own facilities. We have strict quality control measures in place to ensure only the cream of the crop are delivered to our customers. By eliminating the middleman, we're able to provide you the highest quality Bird’s Nest Soups at substantial savings.
Our products are available in many Asian STORES throughout the US.

The Bird’s Nest Soup business: from Sumatra to Shenzen, via Melbourne

James Liew's warehouse is a stack of plastic tubs, tucked away in the corner of an office at his Port Melbourne showroom.

Inside those crates is one of the most expensive delicacies in the world: edible Bird’s Nest Soups.
Pale, fragile and very light – each nest weighing around 8 grams – they were created thousands of kilometres away in purpose-built facilities around Palembang on the Indonesian island of Sumatra.
Their destination is Shenzen but the stop-over at an industrial estate just outside the Melbourne CBD is no accident.

How Bird’s Nest Soup go from Indonesia to China via Australia

What is added in the nests' transit into and out of Australia is something infinitely lighter and almost as valuable as the nests themselves. It is the imprimatur of Australia's food standards regime.
"The reason why we bring it across into Australia is the stringent rules on food that Australian imposes," explains Mr Liew, whose company Company imports and then exports the product.
"Generally speaking, in China we face a lot of imitation product.
"We want to move the raw ingredients into Australia and then process it here with a very minor procedure. We want to get the recognition of Australian quarantine inspection."
The nests themselves are produced by the swiftlet birds, fabricated out of the birds' own hardened saliva to harbour their eggs.
Found only in south-east Asia, the nests have long been prized in Chinese culture for their health-enhancing qualities, where they are typically boiled and served as soup.
"It's from an ancient way," Mr Liew said. "We trust this product to help with bronchitis problems and for skin care."
From Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand to mainland China, it's a trade route as old as the Qing dynasty. Now it's taking a tack through Australia.
The new leg of the journey is partly about creating a new market here in Australia, where Company is selling its product into medicine shops, gifts shop and Crown casino.

What is added in the nests' transit into and out of Australia is something infinitely lighter and almost as valuable as the nests themselves.

Emblazoned on the red and gold labelling of the packaged Bird’s Nest Soups are the words "Australian Quarantine".
Mr Liew's family-owned company have gone to considerable effort to get that stamp of approval.
After the nests are transported into a Jakarta factory, they are cleaned and a hygienically sealed into a plastic envelope, known as retort pouch.
That process and a subsequent four-day quarantine stop here are carefully supervised by Australia's biosecurity bureaucrats.
It's a serious business. An outbreak of the H5N1 avian flu last month prompted China to issue a temporary ban on Bird’s Nest Soups from Malaysia.
Australia's food safety standards give Mr Liew an edge in the highly competitive retail market of Bird’s Nest Soup.
WeChat, the Chinese language social media platform, is a favoured market place for the commodities. It's one reason pricing in Australia, at around $7.50 per gram, is relatively close to the price in China for Company products.
Mr Liew's company also wholesales unbranded Bird’s Nest Soups direct from Indonesia into China at far lower rates.
The big mark-up takes place after the nests pass through Australian customs.
"In Australia it's all about protocol and systems. It's all about authenticity," Mr Liew says. "We can add in value based on this Australian presence."
The Bird’s Nest Soup business is part of a bigger and growing story of trade with China, now Australia's largest agriculture, forestry and fisheries export market. It was worth around $10 billion in 2015-16.
Company has also teamed with recently listed food exporter Winha to distribute its product in China. Winha itself is backing the establishment of a new agricultural college in Deniliquin to bolster food exports to China.
That appetite now ranges from milk powder, to value-added Bird’s Nest Soups, to beef – the first shipment of live cattle to China leaving Portland in Victoria in February – and even fields of South Australian lavender.

Bird’s Nest Soup is an excellent restorative food good for any age or gender

Bird’s Nest Soup can promote the regeneration of internal organs and brain cells, and nourishes the human body. Benefits include: moistening body heat, creating energy, boosting stamina, nourishing lung, controlling cough and asthma, etc.

Benefits of Bird’s Nest Soup

Ladies
Improves metabolism and frequent consumption results in young, radiant and fairer skin.
Pregnant Women
Consumption will improve immune functions of the fetus and reduce physical discomfort.
New Mothers
Eating Bird’s Nest Soup will help speed up recovery after giving birth.
Infants/Children
Enhances immune system, promotes brain and organ development, improves digestion and absorption of nutrients.
Elders
Clears phlegm, strengthens lungs, kidneys, spleen and enhances appetite. Contains antioxidant benefits - essential to achieving anti-aging effects.
Smokers
Nourishes lungs, clears phlegm, and stops coughing.

Chinese Medication

Bird’s Nest Soup was used in ancient China as a type of restorative and remedial food. Previous clinical research have concluded that Bird’s Nest Soup has a sweet and calm character. Bird’s Nest Soup contributes medical benefits to lung, stomach, and kidney neural systems.
The Chinese University of Hong Kong conducted a scientific study on Bird’s Nest Soup. It was concluded that the water-soluble protein of Bird’s Nest Soup contains a Mitogenic Stimulation Factor and Epidermic Growth Factor which can:
• Enhance the rebirth of cells
• Reinforce the immune system
• Restore energy and stamina
• Boost heart functions
• Supply, distribute heat energy throughout body
Bird’s Nest Soup is Rich in Protein and Other Nutrients
• Isoleucine
• Leucine
• Lysine
• Methionine
• Phenylalanine
• Threonine
• Tryptophan
• Valine
• Alanine
• Arginine
• Aspartic acid
• Cysteine
• Glutamic Acid
• Glycine
• Histidine
• Proline
• Serine
• Tyrosine
• Asparagine
• Glutamine
Bird’s Nest Soup is 50% protein - vital for tissue growth, maintenance and repair, muscle contraction and oxidation functions. Proteins are composed of 20 amino acids, 11 of which can be synthesized by human body (non-essential), and 9 have to be obtained through food (essential). Bird’s Nest Soup contains 18 amino acids, including ALL 9 essential amino acids.
Additionally, Bird’s Nest Soup is composed of almost a third of carbohydrates. The rest is a source of fibre, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium.

How to Choose Bird’s Nest Soup

Size and volume
Due to its natural formation, Bird’s Nest Soup varies in size and weight. Everything else constant, larger Bird’s Nest Soups are more expensive. Size does not affect the nutritional values but wider nest are rare and there are more layers of saliva leading to higher expandability.
Color and purity
White nests have a slight ivory color; golden nests have a slight beige or golden color; red nests have a red color. When soaked in water, Bird’s Nest Soups will expand and turn into a lighter color and the thread become transparent. The water used for soaking shall remain transparent. If the Bird’s Nest Soup is extremely white and shiny, it may have been bleached and this will greatly reduce the nutrition content.
Taste and humidity
There should be a slight aroma of egg white when cooked. Storage for dry Bird’s Nest Soup is easier as it can be stored in room temperature. If the moisture content of the Bird’s Nest Soup is high then the chances of mould is higher, therefore it should be stored in a refrigerator or a cool place.
Price and trustworthiness
Price is dependent on the above factors. The best choice is to purchase from trustworthy shops with quality assurance. Unreasonably and extremely low prices may indicate that the Bird’s Nest Soup may be chemically treated, which may have reduced the health benefits or even be harmful to your health, or not even be real.
Density and volume after soaking
Nests with thinner threads, fewer gaps and thicker layers will expand more after soaking. Bird’s Nest Soup from different areas and types has different expansion ratios.
Real vs. Fake
Fake Bird’s Nest Soup have the following characteristics.
• low translucency and is reflective
• bleach, fishy, or acidic smell
• tight body, glossy surface, no cracks
• hard, tough, plastic substance
• becomes sticky once soaked

Bird’s Nest Soup

IBN Bird’s Nest Soup is one of Asian Pacific leading Swallow Bird’s Nest Soup brand. Awarded for being a leader in the industry and a pioneer for the Bird’s Nest Soup industry since 1998 in Hong Kong.

What Is Bird’s Nest Soup?

Bird’s Nest Soup is the saliva produced by a special species of swallow called the swiftlet while building the nest. The saliva glues with other impurities (such as feathers) to form the nest. Among the different species of switlets, golden switlet’s saliva has the purest protein content and the highest nutrient value.

About Bird’s Nest Soup:

Bird’s Nest Soups are mainly produced in Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Burma and Hainan Province in Southern China. The texture and taste of Bird’s Nest Soup vary with the swiftlet’s habitat. Compared with Cave Nest, House Nest is cleaner, softer and smoother in texture. So, the soaking/stewing time can be shortened. Cave Nest is mainly found in Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia, whereas House Nest is mostly produced in Indonesia.
There are three harvesting periods of Bird’s Nest Soup in a year -- the 'first phase’ (first harvesting period) Bird’s Nest Soup is the most nutritious Bird’s Nest Soup and contains much more proteins and minerals.
'First phase’ Bird’s Nest Soup is harvested from November to January every year – springtime of Indonesia. In this season of abundance and thriving, the swiftlet grows up strong and healthy and is able to secrete plentiful saliva. Under such favourable environment, Bird’s Nest Soup harvested during this period is purer and gets bigger expansion after soaking. The body of Bird’s Nest Soup is obviously larger in size and thicker in texture.

The second and third phase Bird’s Nest Soup is not as good comparing with the 'first phase’ Bird’s Nest Soup in terms of quality and quantity. During these seasons, the swiftlet is weak due to unfavourable weather and lean food supply. Saliva secretion is slow and lots of feathers fall off, thus increase impurities. The Bird’s Nest Soup is usually smaller in size and has lesser expandability.
IBNI has its own Bird’s Nest Soup farmhouses and processing plants in Indonesia. Some time before every Chinese Lunar New Year, IBNI ships fresh ‘first phase’ Bird’s Nest Soups to Hong Kong through air cargo. This guarantees sufficient supply of ‘first phase’ Bird’s Nest Soups in the market all the year round.
Chinese have the culture of consuming Bird’s Nest Soups traced back to Tang Dynasty, 1,400 years ago. It was told that Empress Wu Zetian used to rely on taking Bird’s Nest Soup to resist ageing. Since then, Bird’s Nest Soup had been frequently found on the upper class diet. During Ming Dynasty, it was officially included in the imperial menu. In those days, premium grade Bird’s Nest Soup was among the articles of tribute presented by adjacent Southeast Asian countries to the emperor of China. It was commonly known as “Imperial Bird’s Nest Soup”.

Bird’s Nest Soup Testing

SaniChem Resources offers analysis of nitrate and nitrite in Bird’s Nest Soup by ion chromatography (IC). IC is a more sensitive method where a level as low as 0.1 ppm may be detected. Our method involves extracting the nitrate and nitrite from the Bird’s Nest Soup matrices into solution and analysing the solution for nitrate and nitrate and a few other anions such as chloride, sulphate and phosphate. Sample amount required is about 1 gram which should be dry as that is the export requirement. Each sample should be placed in a separate small plastic bag, sealed and labelled before shipping to our laboratory. Depending on our workload, the turnaround time is between one to five days. We also provide moisture content analysis on the Bird’s Nest Soup for export quality compliance using Karl Fischer titration method and bacteria count test.

Why test for Nitrate and Nitrite in Bird’s Nest Soup?

Nitrate (NO3-) and nitrite (NO2-) are naturally occurring ions that are ubiquitous in the environment. Both are products of the oxidation of nitrogen by micro-organisms in plants, soil or water and, to a lesser extent, by electrical discharges such as lightning. Nitrate is the more stable form of oxidized nitrogen but can be reduced by microbial action to nitrite, which is moderately reactive chemically. Studies have shown that nitrate are found in many types of food especially meat products and vegetables. In fact it was shown that up to 90% of human dietary intake of nitrate come from vegetables which may contain up to two grams of nitrate per kilogram of vegetables. Nitrite, on the other hand are generally found in baked food and certain types of vegetables at much lower level at 2-4 mg per kg food. However, about 20% of nitrate may be converted to nitrite in the mouth by action of saliva and bacteria and more will be converted in the stomach. The toxicity of nitrate is generally due to its reduction to nitrite. Nitrite may react with some amine compounds to form N-nitroso compounds which were found to cause cancer in animal study and thus are suspected carcinogens. Based on many studies, health regulating bodies such as World Health Organization (WHO) has issue the allowable daily intake (ADI) of nitrate and nitrite to a maximum of 3.7 mg and 0.07 mg per Kg body weight respectively. Thus the allowable daily intake of a 60 Kg human is 222 mg for nitrate and 4.2 mg for nitrate per day. The WHO allowable limit for nitrite in food is 34 ppm and under the Malaysian Standard for Bird’s Nest Soup, the allowable limit is set at 30 ppm for nitrite.
China has recently adopted an allowable limit of 30 ppm (mg/Kg) of nitrite in imported Bird’s Nest Soup. This limit had been agreed with the Malaysian Government recently. Recent study by the Department of Veterinary Services, Johor(a state in Malaysia) reported that most EBN produced in Johor contain levels of nitrites in excess of the allowable limit. Their finding is summarised in the table below.
It is interesting to note that the percentage of uncleaned EBN containing 0-20 ppm nitrite was 57% while 32% contained 0-160 ppm nitrate. Upon cleaning, the percentage of 0-20 ppm nitrite increased to 62% and 0-160 ppm nitrate level was 81%. Nitrate and Nitrite are naturally occurring ions that can be found abundantly in the environment, including food. Studies have shown that Nitrate and nitrite are found in many types of food such as vegetables, fruit and meat product.

Nitrate and Nitrite

Nitrite is often used as a food additive for preservation and coloring purposes and the prevention of bacterial growth. Although it is widely used to cure meat, nitrite, in the presence of secondary amines in food product or in digestive system, will be converted into Nitroso Compounds and can cause health problems, including cancer, if ingested in large amounts. However, Nitrite will not pose serious threats to human health if it is used in accordance with the standards.
Nitrate which always present as sodium nitrate is the more stable form but tend to be oxidized to Nitrite in the existence of bacterial activity and oxygen. Thus, both nitrate and nitrite must be monitored to ensure the quality and safety of meat products.
Nitrite in red Bird’s Nest Soup may be formed naturally. Though, there are patches of circumstances found that a few sellers attempted to turn white Bird’s Nest Soup into red Bird’s Nest Soup to persuade customers who believe the blood-red nests are more nutritious thus increase the higher prices and demand from consumer for the red Bird’s Nest Soup. Unfortunately, adulterated Bird’s Nest Soups often feature excessive nitrite levels.

Heavy Metal

Heavy metal comes from an external sources. Swiflet birds travel around to acquire foods and drinks. During the process, there are a lot of possibility for the birds to bring along contaminant to their nests. Other than bacteria, heavy metal is one of a main concern among Bird’s Nest Soup consumer because most of heavy metal is very well known to cause cancer.

Bacteria

Since swiflet bird made the nest using its saliva, there are very high probability for bacterial growth especially the nest will be going to be a place where the birds live which we can expect fecal from the birds to present. Because of that, hygienic factor of the Bird’s Nest Soup is the main priority. Cleaning process must be done very thoroughly to make sure the Bird’s Nest Soups are clean and edible without affecting health of consumer.

Protein analysis

Protein analysis seems to be unnecessary because protein is not the main nutrient aimed by the consumer here. Raw Bird’s Nest Soup contain a quite high amount of protein. A high quality Bird’s Nest Soup should contain a high amount of protein too.
Though, there is a research found that after processing, the protein level decrease so much due to the cleaning process by using hydrogen peroxide, H2O2 as bleaching agent. It does not only eliminate all the bacteria and heavy metals, it also removes the essential sialic acid, minerals, epidermal growth factor and antioxidants. Through protein analysis, we can confirm no bleaching agent was used during the processing and the nutrient level is preserved to the optimum.

Moisture

Some Bird’s Nest Soup processor spray water to their processed Bird’s Nest Soup for easier packaging. While the Bird’s Nest Soup already clean, the high water content in the Bird’s Nest Soup provide a good environment for yeast and molds growth. This will force them to use preservative to prevent the growth thus increasing the level of nitrite, which when consumed in high amount will cause cancer.

Learn About The Name Of The Bird’s Nest Soup

I. Name by origin

Wild oats / in the cave: Two species of oats usually live in the cave is the fuciphaga (Popular called oats row) and Maxima oats (nest of black nest). But only the nest of oats row is known as Wild / Cave Nest in the market. Possibly because of the dangerous nature of taking oats in the cave, this kind of oats usually have the highest price compared to other types of oats in the market. Nest in the cave, with the natural conditions in the cave, usually shaped like a cup, thick body and hard legs. A cup-like appearance will help protect eggs or nest from being eaten by other animals and the weather. The feet of oats need to be hard to be attached to the wall because the cave is often high humidity. This type of nest is found in Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Learn About The Name Of The Bird’s Nest Soup

Nest in the nest: Nest of the Esculanta oat is the type of nest often seen in the oat farms. Many people still think that swiftlet is can be raised but in reality we can only rely on construction techniques and design to lead the Bird’s Nest Soup in the nest can not feed them like chicken industry. The raising of the nest requires a huge investment, time for the Bird’s Nest Soup is long and especially not able to feed with artificial feed by the nature of wild Bird’s Nest Soup and can only be caught in flight. Depending on the color of the nest, the nest in the house is often white ivory, the quality of the nest depends on the area to eat more birds for prey? The oats are of high quality, the oats are large and thick as the nest in the mound, the food of the birds are flying flies like mosquitoes, pests, etc., oats can be harvested from 1 -4 times a year.

II. Name by color

The reason why the nest of different colors is still a subject of debate. According to Vietnamese folklore, it is believed that the old birds or Bird’s Nest Soup in the season of food shortage must use their blood with saliva to build the nest. This explains the red or pink color as well as the hatchability of blood nest compared with White Nest. However, many hypotheses about the temperature, humidity or diet of Bird’s Nest Soup are still under investigation. In addition, when the nest is made on the red cliffs and the leaking water from the rock slits also create the red of the nest. However, this type of blood nest with the cliff has a water immersion equivalent to candy (ie 7-9 times)

Swiftlet: This is a type of oats are bright red color and is the most expensive among the colors because of the rare and high demand. Not all production establishments have this type of nest. And if so, the type of Bird’s Nest Soup can only be harvested 1-2 times a year with very small. The number of swine and Hong Yen nest accounts for less than 10% of the total output in the world market. It is said that the red of the Blood Hyacinth is due to nesting process, Bird’s Nest Soup not enough saliva should have used its own blood to mix with saliva to build nest.

Canary: Like Bird’s Nest Soup in terms of price and scarcity, the canary is orange but the color can vary from tangerine to yellowish egg yolk. Darker the color, higher the price.

White oats: The most popular nest in the market. Each year can harvest 3-4 times. The number of Bird’s Nest Soup (including 3 species of oats above) sold on the world market accounts for 90% of the total number of oats in the market.

III. Name of the concept

Bird’s Nest Soup in Vietnam have hundreds of years of age and contribute not less to the revenue of local natural gifted nature. The Yen and professional traders are often distinguished by the class as: Blood (Red, due to nest nest position, the nest gradually turned to red) – (There is also documented that the nest is red because of the Bird’s Nest Soup released in the nest. the best oat and the highest economic value)

Pink (pink, due to Bird’s Nest Soup nest position, the nest gradually turned pink)
Quan (To, about 10g or more)
Thien (high above, white nest, from 8-10g)
Bai (Nest less than 6-7g)
Geography (Located at the bottom of the cliff, black, dirty)
Debris (oats broken by exploitation or transportation)

Bird’s Nest Soup in Vietnam

Consumers’ growing taste for nests made from swiftlet spittle gives ‘birdhouse’ a whole new meaning, but could it mean lasting damage to Vietnam’s ecosystem? By Lien Hoang. Photo by Lee Starnes.

After Uyen Vien injured his arm in a 2008 motorbike crash, he stemmed the lingering pain with a trusted remedy: the saliva of birds.

Tropical swiftlets use their spittle to build nests, and Vien used one of those nests to make a medicinal soup.

“I had a bowl once a day, and after a week, I felt better,” he says.
Seeing those effective results, he decided to construct a house outside Ho Chi Minh City where the birds could build their nests. By harvesting those nests and charging as much as $2,000 per kilogram, many swiftlet ‘farmers’ across Vietnam can make a fortune. It’s part of a larger trend around Asia, where consumers are becoming increasingly wealthy and increasingly attracted to such luxuries as Bird’s Nest Soup.

But could the growing demand hurt the regional ecosystem?
Gathorne Cranbrook, co-author of the 2002 book Swiftlets of Borneo, says the domesticated birds (which live in buildings) are “genetically different” from their wild cousins (which live in caves). The birds can navigate in the dark and are very behaviour-driven, so those born in houses will grow up to seek out similar places in which to build their own nests.
As competition for food increases, the farmed swiftlets risk shutting out the wild ones, as well as other varieties of swifts whose slobbery secretions aren’t so coveted. In some ways this is a zero-sum game because of the so-called “carrying capacity”, or the maximum number of birds that the local environment can support.
“It is a disadvantage to the wild birds,” Cranbrook, a leading expert on swiftlets, says in a telephone interview from his home in England.

A centuries-old trade

Bird’s Nest Soup is not a new delicacy in Asia. In the 16th century, and perhaps earlier, people were spelunking across the region to feed the lively nest trade. Cranbrook says Dutch merchants noticed this when they arrived at the time, especially in the tropical climates where the swiftlets thrive.
Caving could be a deadly profession; there are still reports to this day that people have fallen from ladders during harvests. In Vietnam, much of the industry officially centres on Nha Trang.
But that has changed in recent years, as skyrocketing demand pushed companies and individuals to set up brick-and-mortar homes for the swiftlets. Some build small dwellings just for the birds, while others simply add on attics to their existing homes to welcome feathered tenants. The taste for Bird’s Nest Soup especially saw a boom in the 1980s.
“It used to be for kings and the rich,” says local trader Tran Anh Trong. “But now it’s popular.”
Shops that sell Bird’s Nest Soup (to yen) have exploded around Ho Chi Minh City to cater to domestic customers, as well as those from Hong Kong, Singapore and China. Countries from Indonesia to Malaysia breed swiftlets as well. Bloomberg reported in August that demand is so great that it “is spawning a cottage industry that has attracted investment from VinaCapital Group Ltd, the nation’s largest fund manager, and helping mint new millionaires.”
Vietnamese who do buy the nests often do so as gifts to elder relatives. People consume them after undergoing surgery or giving birth. They’re believed to improve everything from digestion and libido to asthma and aging. Their actual healing properties are up for debate. Even Trong says it might just be in people’s heads.
“Psychology is very important,” he says.
Some Vietnamese don’t seem to mind whether the benefits can be proved, saying they feel better after drinking Bird’s Nest Soup, and that’s proof enough. Still, a VnExpress article in January cited associate professor Ngo Dang Nghia as saying recent research suggests the benefits are real.
He said the drooly concoction helps generate cells so that ailing bodies recover more quickly, supports firm bone development, keeps skin looking young, and strengthens the immune system against viruses.
Unlike bear bile and rhino horn, Bird’s Nest Soups comprise a largely legal trade because they don’t seem to harm the creatures involved.
But Jean-Francois Voisin, who co-wrote The White Nest Swiftlet and the Black Nest Swiftlet, recommends wild nests over farmed ones because they’re larger and more sustainable. He also warns against the indiscriminate use of pesticides, which harm the insect populations that feed swiftlets.
“Another problem with farm swiftlet[s] could be genetic pollution,” Voisin writes by email. He explains that interbreeding could result in a species that is less adaptive to nature, less productive, and more susceptible to disease. More field research needs to be done, but the Bird’s Nest Soup industry is large enough to pose unintended consequences that won’t be realised until decades down the line.