California super market selling frozen raccoons under investigation by health department
Metro Super Market in Temple City sold whole raccoons, considered a Chinese delicacy, in its freezer section. The Los Angeles County Health Department is reviewing whether the source of these animals is legal after officials were contacted by a horrified customer.
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Thursday, February 12, 2015, 12:23 PM
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One man's trash scavenger is another person's treasure - at least at this California market.
An Asian grocery store is under investigation by the Los Angeles County Health Department after it was caught selling whole raccoons in its frozen foods section, according to CBS Los Angeles.
Metro Super Market in Temple City has been peddling the animal -- considered a delicacy in China -- for years, employees said. At $9.99 a pound, whole raccoons, still with teeth and fur, can cost about $54, according to theLos Angeles Times.
Health investigators first learned of the frozen foragers after a horrified customer contacted the department and posted a video of the "freshly slaughtered" animal on Facebook.
"The way it's packaged in the store, it's so real, and it's so fresh," Christina Dow told CBS Los Angeles. "And you don't see chickens with their feathers and blood all over them, and their expression, with their tongue hanging out.
Store employees said health officials had confiscated their supply of raccoons Tuesday. The health department would not confirm the removal but said the matter is under investigation.
Selling raccoons is not necessarily illegal if the animals come from an approved source, according to the California Health and Safety Code. The department is reviewing whether to approve the sale.
The 12,000-square-foot market, established in 2011, also sells fruits and vegetables from its farm, according to its website.
