"How to differentiate a fake Swallow Birds Nests from genuine Swallow Birds Nests"

Edible Swallow Birds Nest is one of the premium foods among the Chinese community worldwide. Swallow Birds Nest soup is a delicacy in Chinese cuisine. It has plenty of benefits to human health. In fact, the edible Swallow Birds Nest is among the most expensive animal products consumed by humans.

Due to its scarcity and high value in the market, some unethical suppliers adulterate the original Swallow Birds Nest with foreign materials and additives. These foreign materials make the Swallow Birds Nest heavier and bigger. The suppliers can therefore sell the Swallow Birds Nest at higher prices.

"How to differentiate a fake Swallow Birds Nests from genuine Swallow Birds Nests"

The genuine purchasers however, wish to buy a true Swallow Birds Nest rather than a fake one. The following are methods to differentiate a true Swallow Birds Nest from the fake one.

i. Outlook

A true Swallow Birds Nest appears to be in fibre form whereas the fake one comes in lump shape with shinning surfaces.

ii. Transparency

A true Swallow Birds Nest is translucent whereas a fake one is opaque.

iii. Weight

The weight of a true Swallow Birds Nest is between 3.5 gram and 8 gram. A fake Swallow Birds Nest can weigh more than 8 gram.

iv. Test by burning

A true Swallow Birds Nest has no sparks during burning whereas a fake one has.

One may further test the Swallow Birds Nest by soaking in clean water for 30 minutes. After the 30 minutes, one may observe as follows:-

i. Appearance

A true Swallow Birds Nest appears in fibre/filament form whereas a fake one in grain shape.

ii. Smell

A true Swallow Birds Nest has the smell of albumen of an egg whereas a fake one has the smell of additives.

iii. Color

A true Swallow Birds Nest will not fade whereas a fake one will fade.

iv. Extent of expansion

A true Swallow Birds Nest will expand for about 2 times the original size whereas a fake one expands slightly. You can see some foreign materials inside the fake Swallow Birds Nest.

v. Bubble

A true Swallow Birds Nest will produce bubbles after soaking in the water whereas a fake one has no bubble but the water turns murky. Everyone wishes to spend money for quality items. There are different classes of Swallow Birds Nest in the market. Some shrewd Swallow Birds Nest suppliers try to sell sub-standard quality Swallow Birds Nest at premium prices. The above observation and testing method may help the buyers to avoid falling into the trap of being cheated.