California Store Found To Be Serving Packaged Raccoons As Chinese Delicacy

There 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.

Strangely, 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