Food has been the most basic material condition for human survival and development since ancient times, therefore, food safety is closely related to us, and it is a top priority for everyone's life and health. Whenever food safety is mentioned, we may see a series of incidents such as dolls, gutter oil, lean meat, Sudanese red duck eggs, etc. In fact, there are a lot of things that we can avoid ......

A. Life's "habits"

1、Roadside stalls and night market culture

Roadside stalls and night markets provide a lot of convenience and choice for our modern life, but at the same time may also bring greater food safety hazards, especially the roadside stalls.

First of all, the general hygiene of roadside stalls is poor, the traffic, the flow of people caused by car exhaust, flying dust may fall on the food, if the vendor does not pay attention to food hygiene maintenance, it is likely to lead us to light diarrhea or food poisoning.

Secondly, some vendors to seek violence is likely to choose poor quality ingredients or cooking oil, and even gutter oil, even if the choice of high-quality vegetable oil also exists repeatedly high-temperature cooking using the phenomenon. High temperature repeated use of fats and oils in essential fatty acids and vitamins are almost all destroyed, and the polymerization of macromolecular compounds can not be absorbed by the body and there is a certain degree of carcinogenicity.

In addition, in the storage of ingredients, often in order to keep food fresh a lot of use of candied or pickled methods, processing and then excessive use of seasonings seasoning, both unscientific and not conducive to health. Some even use hydrogen peroxide foaming, formalin preservation, bringing serious harm to the human body.

2, food additives and industrial dyes

Food additives are chemically synthesized or natural substances added to food in order to improve food quality and color, flavor, taste, shape, nutritional value, as well as for the preservation and processing process needs. The use of food additives in food production in the right amount is not harmful to humans. However, some businesses use excessive or state-prohibited food additives, there are individual businesses for profiteering in food to add cheap industrial dyes instead of edible dyes, excessive whitening agents in flour, candied foods in excess of the bleaching agent, sweeteners used in the processing of roast meat, etc. is not uncommon. Long-term consumption of large quantities may appear acute, chronic poisoning, may also cause cancer, mutagenesis, such as Sudanese red duck eggs, hanging white block steamed buns, etc.. In order to avoid these food safety hazards, we should do the following.

(1) Develop the habit of checking the ingredient list and nutrition label, and try to buy foods with fewer additives;

(2) Try to choose less processed food, generally the higher the degree of processing, the more additives and coloring;

(3) Do not be greedy for cheap goods, a penny for every penny is justified;

(4) buy on demand.

3, disposable goods

With the accelerated pace of people's lives, convenient paper bowls, paper cups, chopsticks, etc. are widely used. However, the potential hazards involved are often overlooked.

In order to achieve the water barrier effect, generally in disposable paper bowls, paper cups coated with a layer of polyethylene water barrier film on the inner wall. Polyethylene is a safer chemical in food processing, but if the choice of poor quality materials or processing technology is not up to scratch, in the polyethylene hot melt or coated to the paper cup process, will be oxidized to carbonyl compounds, carbonyl compounds at room temperature is not easy to volatilize, but in the filling of hot water may volatilize out, when we will smell a strange smell. Another water barrier substance is wax, if the water temperature exceeds 40 degrees is easy to dissolve in water, wax in the body is not easy to discharge, long-term consumption of adverse effects on the body.

In order to look beautiful, individual manufacturers will add a lot of fluorescent whitening agent in disposable paper bowls and paper cups, which becomes a potential carcinogenic factor. There are also some small workshops use cheap, toxic industrial adhesives sticky paper bowls, the use of recycled paper paper bowls, paper bowls printed with industrial ink rather than food-grade ink and so on. As you can see, behind the seemingly clean disposable paper bowls may actually hide great safety hazards. Everyone in life must pay attention to the selection of qualified disposable paper bowls, paper cups, etc..

Second, life in the "unconventional"

1、Pesticide residues

Cabbage, cabbage and other leafy vegetables consumed is the leaves, pesticide residues on the foliage will directly affect human health, it is best to buy such vegetables first smell whether there is a pesticide smell; amaranth, leeks, peppers, celery, tomatoes and other vegetables are more resistant to insects, the application of pesticides is relatively small; edible part of the taro, potatoes, radish, cabbage, etc. grown in the soil is also rarely contaminated vegetable class.

Soaking and scrubbing with water can make the pesticide residues fall; the longer the soaking time, the less pesticide residues. Experimental evidence, with tap water will be soaked vegetables 10 ~ 60min and then slightly scrubbed, can remove 15% ~ 60% of the pesticide residues. Soaking with special vegetable and fruit detergent is more effective.

High temperature heating can also make pesticide decomposition. Experiments have shown that some heat-resistant vegetables, such as cauliflower, beans, etc., washed and scalded with boiling water for a few minutes, can make pesticide residues drop about 30%, and then cooked at high temperatures, you can remove 90% of the pesticides on vegetables. In addition, rice water washing and proper sunlight exposure, for reducing the pesticides on vegetables can also play a role.

2、Mold and spoilage

Most of the moldy food contains carcinogenic substances and endanger people's health. In daily life, most people will identify the rotten food by touch, smell and sight and then discard it. But not many people may know about the national implementation of various types of food labeling. Since April 1, 2004, the state has implemented market access for five types of food: rice, noodles, cooking oil, soy sauce and vinegar, requiring that these five types of food must pass the "QS" certification, and put the "QS" logo and access number on the outer packaging before they can be marketed. In order to ensure the quality and safety of food, consumers should pay attention to the logo when purchasing.

3, inappropriate processing methods

Protein-rich fish, meat and other foods by improper high-temperature cooking and processing will produce heterocyclic amines. Heterocyclic amines have strong carcinogenic and mutagenic properties, and their content levels are mainly related to the cooking method and food composition. The higher the heating temperature, the longer the time, the less moisture content, the more heterocyclic amines produced. Therefore, cooking methods such as broiling, grilling, frying and deep-frying that are in direct contact with fire or hot metal surfaces produce far more heterocyclic amines than cooking methods such as stewing, braising, simmering, boiling and microwave ovens that have lower temperatures and more moisture. In the case of the same cooking temperature, time and moisture, foods with higher protein content produce more heterocyclic amines, so

(1) Care should be taken not to make the cooking temperature too high, not to burn the food, and should avoid more grilled fried food.

(2) in cooking fried fish, meat surface coated with starch paste, or preheat the microwave oven before cooking meat, can effectively reduce the generation of heterocyclic amines.

(3) Dietary fiber has the effect of adsorbing heterocyclic amines and reducing their activity, and the phenols and brasses in vegetables and fruits have the effect of inhibiting mutagenic and carcinogenic effects of heterocyclic amines. Therefore, increasing the intake of vegetables and fruits has a positive effect on preventing the harm of heterocyclic amines.

Food safety is not a trivial matter, and food safety incidents are not limited to the above, so we must pay special attention to food safety in life, so that prevention is the main focus and prevention is better than cure.

This article is reprinted from China Nutrition and Health Food Association, if you have any questions, please contact us