Crawfish IDs help ensure clean crustaceans
Spicy crawfish, known as “little lobsters” in Chinese, are much loved across the country.
But doubts have been raised about the safety of the crustaceans: Were they kept in gutters? Did they eat unclean food?
Many fisheries experts defend the sanitary standards of the delicacy, saying crawfish sold in markets are raised in clean water with healthy food supplies. However, cautious diners still fear they might run into an exception, since wild crawfish — which are highly adaptable — are often seen living in gutters and other unclean places.
The stakes are big as crawfish were rated China’s most popular dish last year, based on a list of the top 10 most-ordered dishes on consumer app Meituan-Dianping.
Hubei province’s Qianjiang, nicknamed the “Home of Crawfish”, hopes to dispel consumer concerns by promoting “identity cards” for live crawfish.
By scanning a QR code on a carton of crawfish, the buyer can learn about the animals within, such as where they were bred and raised, and even details about their food.
The measure is part of Qianjiang’s efforts to build a quality tracing system for the crustaceans. The city produces 10 percent of the nation’s crawfish.
China is the world’s largest crawfish producer, according to a 2017 report by the Ministry of Agriculture, which has since become the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. Output skyrocketed to 852,300 metric tons in 2016 from 265,500 tons in 2007.
Outside the domestic market, Chinese crawfish have found fans in the United States and Europe. In 2016, China exported 23,300 tons of crawfish worth $259 million. Nearly 40 percent went to the US, while 90 percent of the crawfish consumed in Europe came from China.
In addition to the ID cards, Qianjiang is also working to build an online quality monitoring system.
“We previously raised crawfish based on experience. But now we are also turning to technology,” said Dong Guangwen, who manages a 667-hectare breeding base in Qianjiang’s Zhaonao village.
“For example, you should pump fresh water into the ponds at 4 am or the crawfish could die due to lack of oxy- gen,” said Dong, as he pointed at a dynamic graph on a screen. He said the system can also be used to monitor crawfish food sources in real time.
In addition, Qianjiang set up a quality testing center in 2016, which enables rapid and precise tests of all freshwater aquatic life, mainly crawfish.
“In the past, if we needed to check water quality in crawfish ponds or how much pesticide residue was in their bodies, it took three to four days to take samples, test them and get results. Now it takes only three to four hours thanks to advanced equipment,” said Li Jiawen from the center.
Qianjiang is also cooperating with logistics company SF Express, with the aim of delivering live crawfish to more than 300 cities within 48 hours of an order being made, according to company executive Chen Jianlian.
“Freshness will be a big selling point for Qianjiang crawfish,” Chen added.
We previously raised crawfish based on experience. But now we are also turning to technology.”
Dong Guangwen,