The Chinese sector – the overlooked trade in duck meat

Whilst duck is increasingly promoted in UK supermarkets there remains a huge trade in duck meat products in Chinese, and increasingly Pan Asian, restaurants.

Studies have shown that three out of five people in Britain say that Chinese is their favourite food (22). It is worth around £700 million a year in sales in the UK alone (23), with 109 million Chinese meals served here yearly (25).

Chinese restaurants are especially popular in the UK. The first opened in London in 1908, by 2002 there were 3215 (a figure that increases to 4875 when counting those that also operate as a takeaway) (24), nearly half of these are located in London and the South East. The most popular dish in British Chinese restaurants is ‘Crispy Duck’ (24), whilst a survey for the BBC2 series, ‘The Nation’s Favourite Food’, claimed that ‘Crispy Duck’ came only third behind Fish and Chips and Pizza, in the UK’s top five takeaways (in front of Chicken Tikka Masala and Sweet and Sour Chicken) (26).

Because of its perceived ‘exotic’ nature, most consumers of duck meat products in restaurants and take-aways are even more removed from the reality of modern duck meat production than many consumers in supermarkets. Whilst some duck for the restaurant trade is imported from abroad most of it comes from the same factory farms that supply the main supermarkets in the UK. At the forefront of this wholesale trade to Chinese Restaurants in the UK is intensive duck producer, Cherry Valley which claims that more than half the company’s production is marketed to the Chinese restaurant trade. The company boasts in one of its press releases:

‘Cherry Valley, with over 40 years experience, is the leading brand of duckling in the Chinese catering sector. The company has a long standing reputation for quality and consistency among Chinese wholesalers, distributors and chefs throughout the UK based on understanding the needs of the Chinese caterer.

‘With unrivalled catering experience and a highly skilled team of development technologists and consultant chefs Cherry Valley continues to develop and launch innovative duckling products throughout the branded and independent restaurant sector.

‘The product portfolio from Cherry Valley includes: Gold Standard A Grade Duckling, Honey Roast Half  Lincolnshire Duckling, Frozen Raw Duck Breast Fillet, Steamed Duckling Breast Fillet & Orange Sauce, Sliced Meats, Chinese Boneless Roast Duck, Whole Peking Roasted Duck and Peking Duck Starter Kits.’ (30)

Silver Hill Foods, based in Emyvale, Co. Monaghan, is Ireland’s largest intensive duckling producer. They also claim to be the:

‘ … favoured brand of duckling among the Chinese communities of Ireland, United Kingdom and throughout Europe.’ (32)

Also, MFD Foods (previously Manor Farm Ducklings) admit that the bulk of their business is now with the wholesalers and not with retailers (38).

Most of the other major duck producers also aim a good proportion of their products squarely at the wholesale and restaurant markets.

Fat food

Like most meat-based ‘fast food’ it is not only a disaster for animals, but also for our health. Whilst many traditional Chinese meals are low in fat, the ‘Crispy Duck’ we are likely to be served in the UK is a bastardised version of the ‘real’ thing – concocted merely to appeal to the British palate (25). While in China duck is traditionally cooked by grilling and baking over charcoal, the common practice in British restaurants is to deep fry the duck meat (28), and, as it is usually served with its skin – often the fattiest part – intact, its calorie content skyrockets and cholesterol content goes through the roof (29). Crispy Chinese style duck contains around one-quarter fat by weight, with up to a third of that fat being the harmful, saturated kind (31) which raises blood cholesterol increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke. Incredibly, Chinese style duck has the same fat value (weight for weight) as a deep fried Mars Bar (35, 36)! A typical starter meal with four Crispy duck pancakes (containing a quarter-duck) can top 900 calories; typically a main meal (of half-a-roast-duck) contains over 2,400 calories (27).

Mock duck – an alternative

But perhaps equally concerning is its high animal protein content. A wealth of research links animal protein to increased risk of osteoporosis, kidney damage, heart disease and increased production of a hormone called insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) – which is thought to boost the growth of cancer cells (33, 34). However, there is a much healthier alternative. Many Chinese supermarkets sell ‘mock duck’ (along with many other varieties of mock meats), which contains no animal protein, is much lower in fat, weight-for-weight (only 4.1g compared with the 24.2g typically found in crispy duck) – and is free of cholesterol. Mock duck is usually made from wheat gluten (called seitan in the States), which, whilst not suitable for people who are gluten intolerant, is a high-quality protein providing B vitamins and iron (37). It is believed to have originated from China and is also often used as part of the cuisines of other East and Southeast Asian nations, as it is a versatile and nutritious meat substitute. Also, many Chinese restaurants have good vegetarian menus offering healthier vegetable and pulse based options.

For more information on the UK duck industry read Viva!’s in-depth report (updated for 2006) here.

References

22) http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/cgi/news/release?id=15891

23) http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/food_and_drink/news/article124574.ece

24) http://www.menu2menu.com/orfacts.html

25) http://observer.guardian.co.uk/foodmonthly/story/0,9950,834742,00.html

26) http://statistics.defra.gov.uk/esg/reports/afq/afqbrief.pdf

27) McCance and Widdowson’s The Composition of Foods (Sixth Summary Edition) Food Standards Agency. 2002. Based on 0.42 (edible mass) of a typical 2.6kg carcase

28) http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/specials/177_food/page4.shtml

29) http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/travel/2612004.htm

30) http://www.cherryvalley.co.uk/docs/food/CPDPress.htm

31) McCance and Widdowson’s The Composition of Foods (Sixth Summary Edition) Food Standards Agency. 2002

32) http://www.silverhillfoodslife-env.com/index.asp

33) Campbell T. C. and Campbell T. M. II. The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss and Long-Term Health. Dallas, Texas, USA: BenBella Books. 2004

34) Walsh Steven PhD. Plant Base Nutrition and Health. Vegan Society. 2003

35) McCance and Widdowson’s The Composition of Foods (Sixth Summary Edition) Food Standards Agency. 2002 (comparison of 100g servings)

36) http://food.asia1.com.sg/desserts/des_20050918_001.shtml

37) Barnard Neal, M.D. Breaking the Food Seduction. New York, USA: St. Martin’s Griffin. 2003

38) Email from Manor Farm Ducklings, November 28 2005