Cheap Caviar Contains Lots of Fairy Liquid

In an anticipation of the New Year’s holidays, caviar prices in Moscow dropped twice. Moscow is on a spree. Experts warn Muscovites asking them to be careful since sellers often make caviar look “fresh” by adding mineral water or dish washing liquid to it. Vadim Solod, deputy director of the Russian Agricultural Control Department in Moscow, shared his thoughts with Izvestiya newspaper at a press conference.

Photo: Cheap Caviar Contains Lots of Fairy Liquid

“Caviar prices in Moscow are unusually low. Last year, the average price of a pound was approximately $33, this year it is $13-15. Yet, we cannot even guarantee that large supermarkets sell high-quality product,” the official said.

He said that recently, approximately 100 tons of caviar from Vladivostok was arrested. Tin cans packed in Sakhalin contained E.coli. A few days later, the same retailer received another 100 tons of caviar. This time, the retailer did not let veterinarians inspect the goods.

"We had to call the police. When they came to the warehouse, it turned out that the caviar has been already sold. We cannot name the retailer since the case has not been open yet. We know about cases when chain stores would add mineral water to bulk caviar to make the product shine. Some small stores add dish washing detergents for the same purpose," Solod said.

Igor Romanov, an expert of consumer protection group “Public Control,” told NEWSmsk.com that he would not recommend buying bulk caviar. “It is much safer to buy canned product, or even better, caviar in glass jars, so the consumer could evaluate the look of the product. Packaging must indicate the manufacturer, date of production, and shelf life.” Caviar “disinfected” with detergents is harmful. The more concentrated the detergent is, the stronger poisoning it will cause, Romanov explained.

If red caviar is packed in transparent package, its quality can be determined by the look of eggs. They should be whole, of equal size and color, should not be stuck together and should not be dry. Jars should not have orange liquid in them. If caviar is packed in a tin can, shake it. If you feel movement in the can, it means that it contains excessive amount of liquid. Canned caviar normally looks worse than jarred caviar, but its quality is not necessarily worse. If you buy bulk caviar, pay attention to liquid and appearance of eggs. Burst eggs indicate that caviar was in contact with oxygen for too long, experts say.