Ox Gallstones Cape-Verde – Are They Worth a Fortune?

MONDAY’s story about charges being laid against an abattoir worker over the theft of gallstones has aroused interest from beef producers and processors alike. Many have responded that gallstones must be worth a fortune, and that processors are making a killing at the expense of beef producers.

However, the truth is that gallstones are extremely rare.

Origin

MONDAY’S report of gallstone theft at an abattoir in southeast Queensland has led to many a commenter questioning whether processors are making a fortune from them, at the expense of beef producers. The answer, according to industry brokers, is that they’re not.

Ox Gallstones are a by-product of the bile extraction process at cattle abattoirs. They are retrieved from cattle during the bile extraction process on an eviscera table at slaughter, and are usually found in older slaughter animals – cows and bulls – but can also be found in younger yearling type cattle.

After the gallstones are retrieved from the intestines of cattle they are washed thoroughly with cold water to remove blood clots, impurities etc. After this they are dried in a dark and well ventilated room at 20 degrees Celsius for two to three weeks. The stones are moved regularly for better drying and to avoid them sticking at each other.

As a result of this drying the stones can be separated into individual pieces. Whole, smooth, lustrous, golden specimens are of high value and attract the highest price. Other types of stones such as pitted or with calcium inclusions, and stones of lighter or darker colour are lower in value.

Cattle gallstones can be sourced from regions all over the World, mainly from Europe and former Soviet states, but also from South America and Africa at times. The stones must be of light yellow, golden or orange color with a natural odor of healthy cattle, free from mad cow disease and must not contain liver, kidney or bile tubes, moldy or blood stones or cholesterol stones. Moreover, they have to be from BSE-free cattle.

Quality

A recent slew of reports on social media about a gallstone theft at a southeast Queensland abattoir have aroused considerable interest among beef industry professionals. One popular theory is that processors are making a mint on these oddball byproducts at the expense of Australian cattle producers, but nothing could be further from the truth.

The quality of a gallstone is highly variable, and varies considerably depending on its colour, texture, shape and size. Whole, smooth, lustrous golden specimens attract the highest prices; darker and pitted stones are of less value.

Despite their obvious quality, gallstones are actually quite difficult to find. They are most commonly found in older slaughter animals – cows and bulls, but are almost nonexistent in younger livestock like yearlings at the Gympie abattoir.

Interestingly, gallstones have recently become the star of the show in China’s herbal medicine scene, where they are sold as natural stones or as an ingredient in proprietary Chinese medicines. The demand for these items is reportedly as big as 100 metric tons per year. It’s no surprise then that artificial/ synthetic gallstones have been developed to fill this gap. A small pellet weighing three grams can be purchased for HK$19,000, which is more than double the price of the natural stones.

Packing

If you are interested in starting your own business, you may want to consider sourcing ox gallstones and selling them as a profitable and simple side business. This can be done by contacting local abattoirs and farmers. It does require a little work to build relationships and negotiate the best prices, but the end result is an income that can be sustained with minimal investment and overhead.

There are many people around the world who are willing to pay top dollar for ox gallstones. If you are prepared to work hard and follow some simple packing and shipping procedures, you can make a significant profit by selling them to buyers in the United States or other countries around the globe.

These stones are a valuable commodity, because they contain bilirubin, which is an active ingredient in Chinese herbal medicine. The bilirubin in these stones can treat many different diseases and symptoms, including pain and indigestion.

The first step in preparing your gallstones for sale is to clean them thoroughly to remove all dirt and other debris that can prevent the bilirubin from working properly. You should also try to keep them out of the sun, as it can destroy the bilirubin.

Once you have cleaned your gallstones, you should place them on a soft surface to dry in a dark and cool area. You will need to move them frequently for the best drying results, and they should be kept in a well-ventilated room to avoid mold and mildew growth.

Your ox gallstones should be packed in a way that will ensure they do not move during shipping, and you should use plenty of cushioning materials to protect them from getting crushed. You will also need to get insurance and a tracking number, so that you can monitor your package throughout the entire shipment.

You should also include a detailed invoice and any other information that will help you track your shipment, so that the buyer can verify it. Some buyers have minimum weight requirements, so you will need to be sure that your package meets those specifications before sending it off.

Delivery

One of the most common complaints from beef producers is the time consuming, and often costly, process for preparing meat products. This includes removing excess fat, sizing and sorting it. Other tasks include cleaning, drying and packaging. The aforementioned process is more complicated than it sounds. A reputable broker can do it for you, at a reasonable cost. The end result is a product that tastes as good as it looks. This may not be the most efficient or economical method of production, but it is certainly the most effective way to ensure that all your customers receive a high quality product at the best possible price. Using a broker is not for the faint of heart, but it is definitely worth the effort. The resulting savings can be reinvested in better food handling procedures and equipment.

Ox Gallstones Cape-Verde – Are They Worth a Fortune?