Source: What's On Xiamen
January 14, 2013

Many Xiamen hotels have recently suspended serving shark fin soups or put the dish on unadvised list amid an appalling scandal that many shark fins served in restaurants are fake and could be poisonous.

An investigative report by China’s CCTV Focus found that many restaurants in Beijing, Guangdong, Zhejiang and Fujian are serving artificial shark fins made from mung bean starch, gelatine, sodium and various chemicals, all which give the characteristic mucilaginous appearance of shark fin.

CCTV estimated that up to 40 percent of the shark fins consumed in mainland Chinese restaurants could be fake. Experts warn that chemicals and additives used to make fake fins are poisonous and could damage the lung and other organs.

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