California Store Found To Be Serving Packaged Raccoons As Chinese Delicacy

220px-Raccoon_(Procyon_lotor)_2Screen Shot 2015-02-12 at 6.55.54 AMThere is a rather bizarre health department case out of Los Angeles where inspectors, responding to a call from a customer, found Metro Supermarket in Temple City selling prepackaged raccoons in the frozen food section. The raccoons were sold for Chinese customers who have a special hankering for the animals. It turns out that raccoons sell for $9.99 per pound at Metro Supermarket.

We have seen restaurants serve road kill but they do not openly market it as roadkill du jour.

Screen Shot 2015-02-12 at 6.56.20 AMScreen Shot 2015-02-12 at 6.55.56 AMStrangely, the span tag on the bag listed the raccoon as from the “Fish Department.”

Customer Christina Dow spotted the surprising item at the market and was a bit shocked to see a raccoon with its tongue out and teeth. Now here is the most surprising element. She indicated that she was told that selling raccoons as food may indeed be perfectly legal. Really? What is the source for raccoons and conditions for their slaughter and preparation? Are there regulations on the proper packaging of raccoons?

The store says that it has been selling raccoons for years. The supermarket can claim that raccoons are a “game meat” but that still requires showings of the source and properly permitted hunters. For the moment, the Department removed the store’s supply of frozen raccoons.

Source: CBS

32 thoughts on “California Store Found To Be Serving Packaged Raccoons As Chinese Delicacy”

  1. Rocky Racoon!
    Went to the moon.
    He sought help from Jesus’ daughter.

    When they got to the prom.
    There was no one around.
    So they did their thing on the Ground!

    Now that’s enough said.
    I’ll go to the head.
    And see if I find Gideons daughter.

  2. Is saline injected, nitrate cured, antibiotic ridden, hormone injected, trans-fat laden, artificially colored and preserved corporate food any worse?

  3. I don’t know what the laws are governing selling game meat. I think it just has to be sourced correctly.

    The concerns about coon meat are that 1) they are omnivores, and eating predators tends to have a higher pathogen exposure and 2) they are a reservoir species for rabies.

    I’ve bought game meat before, mostly bison and elk, and I realize that meat is not born in a plastic wrapper. Hopefully this is not another case of dragging road kill into a plastic bag, and from a reputable source.

    I would rather try cooking rabbit than coon. If it’s sourced properly, to each his own. If it’s road kill or improperly sourced with no food safety checks, then that’s nauseating.

  4. Hope they ensure that none of those raccoons had rabies.

    Of COURSE this was in CA. My state has really been flying its freak flag in the news lately.

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