Kaiping Magang Goose

Kaiping Magang Goose

The Kaiping Magang Goose is a product with geographical indication status.

　　  Magang meat goose is one of the four famous goose breeds in Guangdong Province. Originating from Magang Town in Kaiping City, it is thus named “Magang Goose.” It is distributed throughout Kaiping City. According to the Livestock Annals of Kaiping County, as early as 1925, Liang Yide from Rongling Village, Cuishan Brigade, Magang Commune, Kaiping County, crossbred a Gaoming Sanzhou gander with a Yangjiang hen to develop the breed. It has been listed among Guangdong’s superior poultry breeds and branded products. With a history of nearly a century, the Magang meat goose not only holds economic value but also embodies the distinctive features of Kaiping’s culinary and branding culture. Today, Magang meat goose has been officially included in the Intangible Cultural Heritage list of Kaiping City. The fame of Magang Goose has attracted regular coverage from local media such as the Jiangmen Daily, Jiangmen TV, and Kaiping TV. Even the Pearl River Channel's "Shaking the Money Tree" program from Guangdong TV and the "Daily Agribusiness" program from CCTV-7 have produced special reports on it.

　　  One of the locally superior goose breeds in Guangdong. Originating from Magang Town in Kaiping City, it is thus named “Magang Goose.” Its characteristics include: moderate body size, black head, beak, and feet, gray-black feathers, large head and thick neck, broad chest, tall legs, thin skin, fine meat grain, good meat quality, moderate fat content, and delicious taste. Additionally, the Magang Goose is highly disease-resistant, matures early on coarse feed, grows quickly, lays many eggs, and is popular both domestically and internationally.

　　  The world-renowned "Magang Goose" is a traditional specialty of Magang Town. As early as 1925, villagers in our town crossbred a Gaoming Sanzhou gander with a Yangjiang hen to develop the breed. Its characteristics include: moderate body size, fine meat grain, good meat quality, moderate fat content, thin and tender skin, delicious taste, strong disease resistance, early maturity on coarse feed, fast growth, and high egg production. Its liver is relatively large, weighing about 100 grams. It sells well in both domestic and international markets.

　　  The “Magang Goose” is characterized by: moderate body size, black head, beak, and feet, gray-black feathers, large head and thick neck, broad chest, tall legs, thin skin, fine meat grain, good meat quality, moderate fat content, and delicious taste. Additionally, the Magang Goose is highly disease-resistant, matures early on coarse feed, grows quickly, lays many eggs, and sells well both domestically and internationally. The Magang Goose is very popular among locals in Kaiping and has been listed among Guangdong’s superior poultry breeds. It is one of the four famous goose breeds in Guangdong and the “Magang Goose” brand meat goose has obtained national pollution-free agricultural product certification.

　　  Geographical Scope

　　  The production area of Magang meat goose covers all 15 subdistricts and towns under the jurisdiction of the city, including 226 village committees. Kaiping City is located in the central-southern part of Guangdong Province and the southwest of the Pearl River Delta, spanning longitude 112°13′ to 112°48′ and latitude 21°56′ to 22°39′. It borders Xinhui to the northeast, Heshan to the north, Taishan to the southeast, Enping to the southwest, and Xinxing to the northwest, covering a land area of 1,659 square kilometers. The city raises over 4.47 million Magang meat geese, with an annual output of 7,872 tons.

　　  Product Quality Characteristics

　　  (1) External Quality: Magang meat geese are of medium size with a well-proportioned build. Market-ready geese feature large heads, thick necks, broad chests, tall legs, plump abdomens, smooth feathers, and are disease-free. (2) Internal Quality Indicators: Properly timed market-ready geese have carcasses with light-colored, glossy skin; firm, elastic muscles; fine muscle fibers; moderate subcutaneous fat accumulation; smooth skin without folds; and after processing, offer thin, tender skin, delicious taste, high protein content—10.8g per 100g of goose meat—and low fat. Their unsaturated fatty acid content is as high as 66.3%, especially linolenic acid at 4%, which is highly beneficial to human health. Goose meat tastes sweet and mild, nourishing yin and qi, warming the stomach, promoting salivation, dispelling rheumatism, and preventing aging. As Magang meat geese are raised through traditional free-range grazing methods and fed pure grains after entering coops, their meat fibers are relatively fine, resulting in a tender texture and rich flavor. Their livers are relatively large, weighing about 100 grams. The Magang meat goose has long enjoyed widespread fame and become a renowned brand, preferred for traditional roast goose. (3) Safety Requirements: The production environment complies with the standards of "Pollution-Free Food – Poultry Drinking Water Quality" (NY5027) and "Standards for Processing Water for Pollution-Free Poultry" (NY5028). Nitrate, total coliforms, fluoride, cyanide, lead, arsenic, chromium, and cadmium levels meet national livestock product safety standards. The production process follows "Guidelines for Veterinary Drug Use in Poultry Raising" (NY5030), "Pollution-Free Food – Guidelines for Poultry Feed and Feed Additive Use" (NY5032), "Pollution-Free Food – Guidelines for Veterinary Epidemic Prevention in Poultry Raising" (NY/T5339), and "Procedures for Harmless Treatment of Diseased Poultry Carcasses and Products" (GB16548). Veterinary drug use must comply with the "Regulations on the Administration of Veterinary Drugs," strictly adhering to withdrawal periods. Feed and feed additive use should comply with "Feed and Feed Additives" regulations. Immunoprophylaxis must strictly follow the "People's Republic of China Animal Epidemic Prevention Law." Diseased animals and products are to be harmlessly treated according to regulations. Origin quarantine follows the "Poultry Origin Quarantine Specifications" (GB16549), and marketed Magang meat geese come from non-epidemic areas and are in good health.