Ox Gallstones Benin – A Valuable Commodity?

MONDAY’S report about the theft of gallstones at a southeast Queensland abattoir has drawn attention to them as a valuable commodity. The reality is that they are a rare find and that processing plants can only get a few per animal.

They are sold at the retail level either in their natural form without being processed, or as a propriety Chinese medicine mixed with other ingredients. Prices vary greatly according to quality, shape, size and other parameters.

Value

The value of Ox Gallstones Benin varies depending on the size, dryness, shape, colour and texture of individual stones. The highest quality lustrous golden specimens attract the most value. Dark and pitted stones are less valuable. Stones with calcium inclusions are also of reduced value.

They are a byproduct of the bile extraction process at an abattoir, where they form inside a cow’s gall bladder after she has been killed and are retrieved at the evisceration table. They can be found in older cattle – cows and bulls – and are rare in younger animals.

Gallstones are a precious Chinese herbal medicine and can be sold either in their natural form or as a proprietary blend of ingredients. They are used in Chinese medicine for a variety of health conditions, and are often combined with other herbs, such as coptis root, rhino horn, animalic musk and indigo.

The demand for these stones is high, and the supply is low. It is vital that the stones have a natural smell of cattle, and must be free from mad cow disease, liver stones, kidney stones, bile tubes and moldy stones.

After harvesting them from the cattle, the gallstones are washed thoroughly with cold water to remove blood clots and other impurities. They are then dried in a dark, well ventilated environment at 20 degrees Celsius for two to three weeks. They are moved regularly for better drying and to avoid them sticking together.

They are then vacuum packed and sealed. They are shipped worldwide.

A major part of the global market is Hong Kong, where gallstones are sold in the local markets as a Chinese herbal medicine. They are sold at a premium price, and are often mixed with other herbs in a proprietary blend.

However, the value of these stones varies dramatically. Some can be worth as much as $20,000 a kilogram, while others are more modest.

They are a bovine byproduct with high medicinal value. They are very rare and can be a significant source of extra revenue for beef processing plants, especially for those with a strong bovine business.

Origins

Gallstones – the hardened calcifications of bilirubin – have long been prized for their purported medicinal benefits, with cattle gallstones especially prized in China. Their value is based on their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

It’s the reason Chinese medicine specialists claim that gallstones have the ability to cure a range of illnesses: from sore throats through to heart disease and hepatitis. The alleged healing powers of the stones have been spruiked in everything from ancient Chinese herbal remedies through to modern-day alternative medicines.

But the spruiking has been replaced by a whole new kind of spruiking: a kind of nationalistic juggernaut that’s turning ox gallstones into a serious, high-value commodity. And that’s good news for farmers, butchers and meatworkers around the world.

The story of how the ox gallstone became such a big deal in Australia started back in 2003 when Gerard Murtagh decided to go into business for himself. He launched a family company called Sunshine Trading that now works with more than 50 abattoirs across the country, and rakes in more than 200 kilograms of these precious rocks a year: at the grey market rate.

As the head of international sales, Gerard was tasked with training slaughterhouses how to dry and preserve the precious stones before putting them on the black market for a profit. He also pushed for the use of his patent design dropboxes: waist-high stainless steel vaults that would “secure the stones away from any sticky fingers” in the gutting process.

When a gallstone is first harvested it is carefully washed to remove blood clots and any impurities, before being dried in a dark and well-ventilated environment for two or three weeks at a temperature of 20 degrees Celsius. Then the stones are sorted into whole and broken pieces, according to their colour, texture and size.

Those stones with a lustrous, golden hue, that are smooth and have no lumps of calcite are the most valuable. But darker and pitted stones – those that have calcium inclusions – are of reduced value.

These days, most gallstones are bought and sold by individuals through private Facebook groups and darknet marketplaces. It’s a lucrative business, with some butchers and meatworkers boasting of making upwards of $8,000 selling their gallstones on the global stage.

Uses

Gallstones are a type of extra cholesterol stone which form in the gall bladder or bile duct. They are present more often in women than men and can lead to a wide range of health problems such as obesity and diabetes. They are the main reason for a person to undergo a cholecystectomy surgery.

In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), ox gallstones are used to treat jaundice and expel intestinal parasites. These ox gallstones are a source of calcium bilirubinate, a naturally occurring pigment that has a long history of therapeutic use in TCM.

This bilirubin has multiple pharmacological activities including antipyretic, anticonvulsive, antihypertensive and anti-inflammatory. It also inhibits bacterial growth and is an expectorant and inotropic agent. Ox gallstones are also useful in reducing fever and in the treatment of typhoid, dysentery and malaria.

There are many different types of ox gallstones. They can range from the small, pea-sized granules to the larger, lumpy stones. The smallest, most delicate ones can be sold as jewelry; larger, more rounded ones are used in herbal medicine.

These stones have a long history of therapeutic use in traditional Chinese medicine. They contain a large amount of bilirubin, which has been used to treat jaundice and expel gastrointestinal parasites for centuries. They are also used in the treatment of hyperpyrexia-induced infantile convulsions, as well as in the management of typhoid, dysentery, malaria and phlegm-based diarrhea.

They are a popular ingredient in herbal preparations and can be found in more than 154 TCM medicinal preparations. They are often compounded with other ingredients such as flavescent sophora root (Sophora flavescens; Ku Shen), rough gentian root (Gentiana scabra; Long Dan Cao) and honey.

The bilirubin contained in ox gallstones has a very high concentration and is very pure, which allows them to be used for numerous therapeutic purposes. This is especially true in traditional Chinese medicine, where ox gallstones are often used to treat patients with hepatitis C and liver disease.

The demand for ox gallstones outside China has grown in recent years, and is being driven by a growing awareness of the benefits of bilirubin. As such, they are being increasingly sold on darknet marketplaces and private Facebook groups, which allow people to buy them directly from the source.

Production

Ox gallstones are a byproduct of slaughtering cattle, and have been harvested by some meat processing plants since at least the 1970s. Several beef processors in Australia now use gallstones to enhance the flavour of their products.

The’stones’ are collected during the bile extraction process at abattoirs, and despite their name, are actually surprisingly light in weight. They are 75 percent water when retrieved, and lose a lot of their weight when dried out, making them resemble more like river pebbles than pearls in a glass jar.

They are a valuable Chinese herbal medicine. They are usually sold either in their natural form without any processing, or as a proprietary Chinese medicine mixed with other ingredients.

In China, ox gallstones are in high demand and are used as an ingredient for a number of propriety Chinese medicines. According to reports, the Chinese pharmaceutical industry requires about 100 metric tons of gallstones per year. However, domestic supply is very short and has triggered the creation of synthetic/ artificial gallstones in an attempt to meet the increasing demand.

The Chinese market is the biggest consumer of ox gallstones in Asia, and the prices of these stones vary widely depending on quality, size, and other factors. Those with a smooth, golden appearance are the highest-valued. Dark, pitted stones and those with calcium inclusions are of lower value.

After being sourced from a variety of sources, they are washed and then dried in a dark environment at 20 degC for two to three weeks. This is done to make them more effective and to avoid them sticking together. Then they are vacuum packed and sealed.

These are then shipped to a number of markets in Asia. One of the largest markets is Hong Kong, where they are sold as a precious Chinese medicine.

Currently, there are several importers looking for supplies of these stones in the Hong Kong market. They pay HK$19,000 for a tael of ox gallstones, which is US$65 per gram.

This is not the first time that people have tried to trade in these’stones’. A similar story arose in Australia, in 2015, when an employee at a southeast Queensland abattoir was charged with theft over a collection of gallstones taken during the kill floor process. Those charges were later dismissed.

Ox Gallstones Benin – A Valuable Commodity?