Shortage of donkey skin breeds TCM fakes

SLAUGHTERED CREDENTIALS

A precious TCM ingredient, ejiao is believed to have amazing medical effects and is widely used as a blood tonic in China. Official statistics show that 90 percent of the country's ejiao products are made in Shandong Province.

Over thousands of years, ejiao has been incorporated into different products, including desserts, which can fetch between 400 yuan and 4,000 yuan.

According to Chinese medical documentation, ejiao is only effective when made with donkey hide, while the side effects of taking fake ejiao cannot be guaranteed. Fake ejiao made from horse skins has been known to cause miscarriages in pregnant women.

According to Bu Xun, it is very difficult to differentiate donkey skin from mules and horses, making it easy for manufacturers to get away with fake products. Current testing methods are ineffective, he said.

"China primarily tests for traces of oxen in ejiao products during inspection, so products made from the skins of pigs, horses and other animals flow into the market easily," Bu said.

He said that DNA tests could guarantee genuine ejiao products.

Some manufacturers in Shandong are already using DNA technology to ensure real products, according to Shandong Ejiao Trade Association.

A major ejiao producer, Dong'e Ejiao Co. Ltd. in Shandong, is taking the fight against fakes to the source. At 20 donkey farms across the country, the company is inserting chips into each animal, assigning them a unique ID. The chips contain information regarding the source, slaughter, transportation and sale of the donkeys. If customers find any poor quality products, they can report to authorities.

"The government should improve supervision, while the industry should be more disciplined," said Qin Yufeng, a state-level expert on ejiao production.

Qin said the government should support donkey breeders by offering subsidies to encourage more breeding.