Ox Gallstones – Are Processors Making a Fortune From Them?

A recent report about gallstone theft at a Queensland abattoir has raised an intriguing question amongst meat industry professionals. If pristine specimens can fetch up to $20,000 a kilogram in the Hong Kong market, it seems processors must be making a fortune from them at beef producers’ expense!

Ox gallstones (also known as calculus bovis, niu huang or bezoar) are a precious pharmaceutical raw material used in traditional Chinese medicine. They have sedative, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic properties.

Supply and Demand

MONDAY’S story about charges being laid against an employee at a southeast Queensland abattoir over the theft of gallstones (click here to view original story) has aroused considerable interest among Beef Central readers. One response has been that processors must be making a fortune from these objects – as they are worth up to $20,000 a kilogram in the Far East.

But, the fact is, gallstones are extremely rare and have a relatively short supply. The Australian cattle industry only produces about 200kg of them each year, according to one of the country’s largest dealers in the commodity.

As such, the market for them is small – and the value is high. Brokers in Australia said prices vary dramatically, depending on quality, shape, size and other factors. “It’s a lot like a diamond,” Mrs Murtagh told Beef Central, adding that pristine specimens can rival gold bullion in the Far East.

Gallstones are collected by meatworkers at the end of a cow’s life during the bile extraction process on the eviscera table. The stones are then dried in a dark, well-ventilated room at 20 degrees Celsius for two to three weeks. This helps to dry them out more effectively, and also to prevent them from sticking together.

After drying, the stones are then packed in hermetically sealed bags. These are sold to Chinese medicine stores. They are used to treat a range of ailments, including heart disease, hepatitis and cirrhosis of the liver.

They are a valuable ingredient for traditional Chinese medicines because of their sedative, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic properties. They are also reputed to clear the liver, rejuvenate one’s spirit, remove phlegm, delirium or a coma and put an end to tremors and convulsions.

The price per kilogram of ox gallstones Congo is determined by the following key characteristics: their dryness, colour, texture, and size. Whole, smooth, lustrous, golden specimens attract the highest prices.

The demand for Ox gallstones Congo is particularly strong in the Asian markets where they are used in traditional Chinese medicine. They are also a good source of ox bile, which is a by-product of the slaughter process and a highly valued ingredient in beef processing plants.

Market Opportunities

When it comes to cattle byproducts, gallstones are among the most lucrative. They’re worth as much as $20,000 a kilogram in Australia.

Traders collect gallstones during the slaughter process at meat processing plants. They then dry them to remove moisture, and sell them for their medicinal value.

But the price of gallstones is soaring, and there are some ways to make money on this booming commodity. One of the most interesting is in Hong Kong, where ox gallstones are in high demand as a precious Chinese herbal medicine.

In China, the use of animal biles dates back three millennia, and they’re used for a wide range of ailments. They’re believed to contain bilirubin, an antioxidant that can help treat a host of conditions.

These days, they’re also sold as a proprietary Chinese medicine ingredient. Often combined with other ingredients, they’re highly sought after.

Some of the most valuable ox gallstones are golden, but even dark and pitted stones are still worth something. They’re especially coveted as they contain a special pigment that can help treat lung cancer and hepatitis.

For years, a small family business called Sunshine Trading dealt with gutties directly. But it was Gerard Murtagh, a fresh-faced 19-year-old from the Northern Territory who changed everything.

Almost every abattoir in Australia now has surveillance cameras sitting above the gutting table. Several have padlocked boxes that gutties must cut bladders open over, and Gerard’s company makes a killing on the out-turn: “almost like a monopoly,” says Sunshine’s director of international sales.

It’s a remarkably lucrative market, and it doesn’t take a lot of capital to get started. It’s an all-round-the-year business that can be done from your home.

What’s more, the demand for these products is always strong. In fact, it’s increasing in response to the Chinese government’s promotion of bilirubin-based medicines. This means a higher payout for risk-taking slaughter floor workers.

It’s a great way to cash in on a byproduct that’s unlikely to drop in price anytime soon. And the best part is, you don’t need to own a beef processing plant.

Supply Chain

Gallstones are tiny calcified lumps of bilirubin that form in the gall bladder of cattle, and are retrieved during the evisceration process. They are not a common byproduct of slaughter, but have become increasingly valuable on the global market in recent years.

Gallstone demand is skyrocketing in China, where they are used to make a wide variety of proprietary Chinese medicines. The country has a limited supply of these precious stones, so the demand for imported gallstones is on the rise.

The cost of gallstones in China is high, so they are only available at high prices if they are carefully extracted from slaughter animals without any additional processing. These are called “natural gallstones” and are highly valued in Asian alternate medicine.

They are in high demand because they are a valuable source of bilirubin, a key ingredient of a range of proprietary Chinese medicines. In a nutshell, they help prevent and treat a range of illnesses, including high blood pressure, heart disease, and cancer.

These are also highly coveted by Asian butchers, who use them to preserve meat and improve taste. It is these reasons that have driven gallstones up in price, and made them a hot commodity on the world market.

This has triggered a new business opportunity for beef producers around the globe, who want to get in on the action. The first step is to ensure that the gallstones are produced at the right plant, and that they meet certain quality criteria.

For instance, they must be light in colour, have a natural smell of the animal, and be free from mad cow disease. They should also be able to be easily dried, stored and shipped.

Another way to secure a lucrative profit from this byproduct is to invest in the proper equipment. Gerard Murtagh, the director of Sunshine Trading, began selling waist-high stainless steel gallstone and bile retrieval units to abattoirs across Australia.

As a result, Gerard’s business has grown into one of the largest players in the Australian Gallstone white market. He now deals with more than 50 abattoirs, raking in an estimated $11.5 million USD a year from the sale of this cattle byproduct.

Pricing

Since a ‘cash for gallstones’ scam hit Australian abattoirs in the past week, there has been a lot of chatter on social media about how much these little stones are worth. The reports, which suggest pristine specimens can rival gold bullion prices and fetch up to $20 USD per gram in the Far East, have prompted a lot of speculation and a bit of misinformation about what these gems actually are.

Ox gallstones, also known as calculus bovis or bile duct stones, are formed inside a variety of animals that include cattle, cows, oxen and bulls. These can vary in size, colour and appearance but are essentially located within the gallbladder.

They are in the form of a hard stone that can be found round, egg shaped or square in shape. They may also form as a tube from the bile ducts. The most valuable gallstones are whole, smooth, lustrous, golden in colour, although dark and pitted ones are also in demand.

Traditionally, gallstones have been used as medicines. In particular, Chinese doctors use them to treat hepatitis, liver and heart problems.

Some are even believed to have aphrodisiac properties.

The best-known gallstones are those from the oxen, and they can be marketed to countries such as China and India in the form of an herbal medicine. They are sold as natural ox gallstones or combined with other ingredients in proprietary Chinese medicinal formulas.

In fact, ox gallstones are in high demand in the Chinese market as an important part of traditional Chinese medicine. Their sedative, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic properties make them an ideal ingredient for pharmaceuticals.

A small pellet of ox gallstones costs around US$195, and it has a number of uses in traditional Chinese medicine. It is often mixed with other herbs to create a potent and effective herbal tea.

The largest and most successful markets for these oxen’s stones are China and India. These two nations account for more than a third of the world’s production and are able to buy up large volumes at competitive prices. However, a smaller percentage of the total is supplied to other countries.

Ox Gallstones – Are Processors Making a Fortune From Them?