Hong Kong watchdog warns against health claims of pricey chicken essence, says cheap alternatives more effective
- Consumers can get as much protein from HK$1,700 worth of chicken essence products for less than HK$6 eating simple alternatives, new report finds
- Significant errors in product labels for certain brands were also discovered, with sodium and protein contents misrepresented
Hong Kong shoppers spending up to HK$1,700 (US$217) on chicken essence products for their fill of protein can achieve the same result for less than HK$6 by eating the animal’s meat, eggs or drinking regular milk, the city’s consumer watchdog has found.
The Consumer Council on Monday revealed the results of its study of 15 pre-packaged chicken essence products, which had a wide range of prices from HK$188 to HK$990 per box, or HK$11.75 to HK$133 per serving.
Considered a potent health food by some, chicken essence is popular with pregnant women and consumers looking to boost their energy levels and immune system.
The watchdog said if consumers hoped to absorb higher amounts of protein, chicken meat – especially skinless thighs – or milk and eggs were more cost-effective alternatives.
For example, a 100-gram serving of skinless chicken thighs would provide 26.3 grams of protein and cost HK$5.83. But purchasing chicken essence to receive the same amount of protein would cost eight times more at HK$51.94. The cost would be even higher at HK$1,710 for vegan chicken essence.
In another example, based on an adult’s diet of 2,000 kcal and 60 grams of protein a day, eating boiled eggs daily instead of chicken essence would cost HK$9.27 for a 20-gram meal portion. For consumers who chose chicken thighs, the cost would only be HK$4.82 per meal every day. This is well below the HK$1,301 cost of vegan chicken essence.