[upstream and downstream survey] inferior shredded Chinese shiitake mushrooms, invading group meals and snacks, the operators are angry: do you have to be afraid to buy a shiitake mushroom?

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Lentinus edodes (Lentinus edodes) illegally seized the market in addition to the whole dried Lentinus edodes, but also occupied the whole Taiwan civilian snacks in the form of "shredded Lentinus edodes." many firms sell Chinese shredded Lentinus edodes in a high profile, these unquarantined and safe shredded Lentinus edodes, which are widely used in Lentinus edodes meat soup, fried rice, meat dumplings, Fried rice noodles and other snacks.

The reporter's survey found that many catering operators simply do not know how to distinguish shredded shiitake mushrooms from Taiwan. "ordering goods only says they want shredded shiitake mushrooms, and the other side can only sell one kind, and I have no other choice." However, some operators insist on using local Lentinus edodes for food, emphasizing that Chinese shredded Lentinus edodes come from different sources, taste and quality are poor, and that in order to protect consumers' food safety and brand reputation, they have been using shredded shiitake mushrooms from Taiwan for years.

Shredded Chinese shiitake mushrooms that come to Taiwan illegally are easily obtained, and the price is only half of that of domestic shiitake mushrooms. Considering the cost, many restaurants have unknowingly become accomplices in promoting the smuggling business. Six pieces of Chinese shredded Lentinus edodes and one piece of Taiwan shredded Lentinus edodes were sampled from upstream and downstream to be sent for pesticide testing, of which 3 pieces of Chinese shredded Lentinus edodes detected the fungicide "befentil". In the face of the encroachment of shredded Lentinus edodes in Taiwan, how should the government control it from the source?

The shredded shiitake mushrooms sampled from upstream and downstream are shredded shiitake mushrooms from Taiwan in the lower row and Chinese shredded mushrooms in the upper row. (photo / Lin Xiejun)

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Lentinus edodes smuggling is serious, without quarantine inspection may affect health

Every year on the eve of the Dragon Boat Festival, Chinese shiitake mushrooms (silk) become the main smuggled goods. At the end of April last year, the Customs Office of Kaohsiung seized more than 10,000 kilograms of smuggled Lentinus edodes. Now that the Lunar New year is approaching, the Jinmen Sea Patrol launches a special operation to crack down on Lentinus edodes before the Lunar New year. In December last year, five cases of smuggling of Chinese Lentinus edodes were detected at the shallow water wharf of Liuluoshang Port.

Dried shiitake mushrooms (shredded) smuggled into the country are often wrapped in cartons and plastic bags and hidden in lower containers. Kaohsiung Guan pointed out that the smuggled Chinese shiitake mushrooms (shredded mushrooms) have not been quarantined, and there is a risk of a major epidemic of agricultural products. If they are sold on the market, it will greatly affect the health of the Chinese people.

The import of Lentinus edodes, which is explicitly prohibited in China, has long made use of third-country detour and smuggling pipelines to enter the Taiwan market on a large scale, so as to earn the price difference. Although the patterns of Lentinus edodes produced in different countries are obviously different due to differences in production environment and working habits, for example, Taiwan's Lentinus edodes has a longer stalk, a low proportion of umbrella cracks and wrinkles, however, many consumers still find it difficult to identify domestic mushrooms (see here for identification).

Illegal smuggling of shredded Chinese mushrooms was seized at Kaohsiung customs. (provide / Kaohsiung pass) characteristics of Chinese shredded Lentinus edodes: ballast marks, wet and soft mushroom body, thin black strips

However, if the type is cut into long, black strips of "shredded mushrooms" that can hardly be seen, the possibility that the country of origin is China is very high. Chen Tsung-Ming, chairman of the Taiwan Mushroom Development Association, which has long assisted the government in investigating and identifying the origin of Lentinus edodes, says that Chinese shiitake mushrooms smuggled by ships can often see "compressed flat shiitake mushrooms" and "shredded Lentinus edodes." although Vietnam also exports a large amount of dried shredded shiitake mushrooms, as far as he knows, this dried shredded mushrooms are produced only in China and not from Vietnam.

Lu Jianyu, an assistant researcher in the plant pathology group of the Agricultural Laboratory, also pointed out that Chinese "shredded mushrooms" generally have two major characteristics: "ballast marks" and "wet and soft". The reason is that people on the opposite shore are used to rehydrating dried shiitake mushrooms and shredding them after softening, and then press them closely into bricks to save transportation space and costs. the water content of these mushrooms is usually as high as 30-50%, which feels soft. Unlike Taiwan, Japan and South Korea, shiitake mushrooms are baked thoroughly and can even be broken like biscuits. Lentinus edodes in Taiwan, on the other hand, are seldom shredded and sold. If there are slices, the thickness will be wider, and the mushroom meat can be clearly seen.

The shredded Chinese Lentinus edodes is dried and flat in shape, which is very different from that of domestic Lentinus edodes slices.

The shredded Chinese Lentinus edodes is dried and flat in shape, which is very different from that of domestic Lentinus edodes slices. (photo / Lin Xiejun)

Shredded shiitake mushrooms in Taiwan, thick. (photo / Lin Jiejun) the quality of shredded Lentinus edodes is poor, and there are doubts about food safety.

Lentinus edodes with high humidity is prone to mildew in the process of transportation, and the mushroom body often has a bad smell, and it may also add preservatives to prolong the shelf life, which has become a major hidden worry for food safety. These smuggled shredded shiitake mushrooms can be found all over the daily diet of the public, such as shiitake mushroom meat soup, zongzi, fried rice, and Fried rice noodles. "this is most common in processing factories and bucket meals. Some shiitake mushrooms are only black, or even misunderstood to be fungus. It's probably from China." LV Yingyi said.

"upstream and downstream" went to the wholesale market and found that as long as they asked if they sold "shredded shiitake mushrooms," many stores made no secret of selling "shredded Chinese shredded mushrooms," and the price was cheap, only half the price of shredded shiitake mushrooms in Taiwan.

The Jianguo Market, a famous wholesale market for northern and southern goods in Taichung, will not only be patronized by people who buy New year's goods, but also catering groups and caterers will come to purchase the goods. Yuejie (a pseudonym) has two kinds of shredded shiitake mushrooms in her shop, and the price is doubled. If customers want to eat it themselves, she suggests buying shredded Taiwan shredded mushrooms, which costs 50 yuan or two. The cheaper shredded Chinese shredded mushrooms (30 yuan or two) are mainly supplied to group meals and snack bars. "Fried rice noodles and fried rice are almost all shredded Chinese shredded mushrooms, and they are sold to them every month."

The shredded Lentinus edodes in China is of poor quality, with a sour taste and worms.

Shredded Chinese shiitake mushrooms are usually not put in the store, but in the cold room of the warehouse, where the operator asks the customer for the quantity, weighs it, and then wraps it in bags. There are also shiitake mushrooms that directly say that they are not selling shredded shiitake mushrooms. "those qualities are not good. If you want to eat, you'd better buy whole shiitake mushrooms and cut them yourself. This is the freshest." The boss of Aman (not his real name) said.

In fact, compared with Taiwan and Chinese shredded Lentinus edodes, the former has more meat and thicker thickness, while the latter mostly sees only a thin black umbrella, and the mushroom body is wet and soft, showing pieces glued together, and the surface is covered with white spots and may have become moldy. Rich flavor, mixed with the sour smell of amino acid hydrolysis, and even saw a few worms running around, as well as plastic bag debris.

Dried Lentinus edodes and shredded mushrooms in China are mixed with sticky garbage. (photography / Lin Jiejun) the industry unknowingly bought shredded Chinese shiitake mushrooms and thought it was native to Taiwan

Shredded Lentinus edodes can enhance the taste, but the price is not cheap, especially the price of dried Lentinus edodes rises frequently before the Spring Festival. Some shops have no choice but to choose shredded Lentinus edodes with lower prices, but they have no idea that they are buying Chinese shredded Lentinus edodes with poor quality.

When Lao Cao (a pseudonym) generously let the reporter visit the packets of shredded shiitake mushrooms in the stock area after entering Taichung for ten years, the appearance was obviously similar to that of Chinese shredded Lentinus edodes. The dried and slender shredded mushrooms expanded after soaking in water, and the area of mushroom meat became larger. At first glance, it is exactly the same as domestic mushroom slices.

After the reporter told him that it was shredded Chinese mushrooms, Boss Cao was surprised and shouted: "(ordering goods) will not specifically say whether it wants Taiwan or China (shredded shiitake mushrooms). The other side can only sell one kind, and I have no other choice." It shows that the shopkeeper is not aware of the difference in the source of shredded shiitake mushrooms and the difference in edible risk between the two.

Aunt Huang, who has set up a stall in East Chiayi for more than a decade, points out that in the past, it was not clear that shredded shiitake mushrooms were divided into China and the mainland, and she always thought that they had chosen local shredded mushrooms. "is there nothing wrong with those who openly sell shredded Chinese shredded mushrooms?" Can't the government manage it from the source? Is it possible to stop the industry from having to worry about even buying shiitake mushrooms? " She said excitedly.

(top) Lentinus edodes meat soup with shredded Chinese mushrooms (bottom) Lentinus edodes meat soup with shredded Lentinus edodes from Taiwan