Food safety inspectors in New York have their hands full regulating the sale of illegal meats. And they're not talking about foie gras. Markets all over the city carry exotic meats to cater to immigrants who are used to fare beyond chicken and beef. Inspectors have found everything from armadillos to cow lungs to gorilla meat and a lot of it is illegal.
The issue is not necessarily about which animals are being eaten - although it is illegal to eat endangered or threatened species (like gorillas) - but is instead about the lack of regulation of these meats. Neither the shopkeepers nor the customers necessarily know about food safety, and when the shopkeepers don't uphold the state and federal standards, anyone who purchases from them could be at risk. Unprocessed meats or meat prepared outside of a certified and inspected facility can contain potentially dangerous bacteria, like salmonella or botulism. Some of these "exotic" meats are perfectly permissible - turtles, frogs, iguana and armadillos - if they come from a licensed facility, although they rarely do.
One of the primary issues is that inspectors find the food being sold in heavily immigrant neighborhoods, where language can be a barrier between food safety guidelines and those selling the food. The city health department supports ordering business owners to take state-approved food safety courses that teach about hygiene and cross contamination in an effort to continue their goal of preventing food-related sickness or epidemics.
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