Currently, despite being warned by the media about the dangers of using industrial colors in food processing and preservation, but for prof...
Currently, despite being warned by the media about the dangers of using industrial colors in food processing and preservation, but for profit, many sellers still silently use them without concern. mind the health of users.
Many industrial coloring products are abused in food.
Dr. Tran Quang Tung, lecturer of Institute of Chemical Engineering (Hanoi University of Science and Technology) said, we must first understand the food coloring and industrial coloring products. If we talk about food coloring, we can divide it into two categories: natural color and chemical coloring. In particular, natural color products are those extracted or processed from natural materials available, such as yellow from turmeric, red from gac, green from nuggets ... This color group is often non-toxic, Even good for health. However, the natural color has the disadvantage that the color intensity is not high, the color fastness is low, so to create eye-catching and long-lasting colors must use large quantities with expensive cost. From the disadvantages of natural colors, people have conducted research, replacing some natural colors into chemical coloring products. However, to put chemical coloring into use in food processing, it must first be pure enough, not containing impurities. Subsequently, this substance must be clinically studied to determine whether it is toxic or not and then include it in the list of substances used in food.
“Even if tested chemicals are included in the approved list, if the use process is found to be toxic, it may be removed from the catalog and banned from use. Saying so to see that, to put a chemical into use in food must undergo a lot of testing stages before being included in the list and marketed, "Dr. Tran Quang Tung said. Therefore, with the colors allowed, we should not be too afraid of their harms. However, the most important thing to remember is to use the right dose, if abuse exceeds the safe range, it can harm the health of users.
“Even if tested chemicals are included in the approved list, if the use process is found to be toxic, it may be removed from the catalog and banned from use. Saying so to see that, to put a chemical into use in food must undergo a lot of testing stages before being included in the list and marketed, "Dr. Tran Quang Tung said. Therefore, with the colors allowed, we should not be too afraid of their harms. However, the most important thing to remember is to use the right dose, if abuse exceeds the safe range, it can harm the health of users.
Create natural color products with beetroot, both beautiful and healthy.
According to Dr. Tran Quang Tung, normally the chemical color used in food will be denoted by E100 - E199 (symbol of coloring additives) on food labels. Therefore, if you want to know which colors are being used in that food, we can absolutely check these symbols. For example, E100 - 109 is yellow; 110–119 yellow orange; 120 - 129 red; 130 - 139 blue and purple; 140 - 149 green; 150 - 159 brown and black; 160-199 are other colors. For products that do not have signs, origins but still create color, it should be noted because it may be floating additives, not tested clinically, completely at risk of health toxicity. Thus, basically, both natural colors and chemical colors (included in the permitted list) are used in food processing and will not be harmful if used safely. The more dangerous and also the concern of consumers is that people do not use natural colors as well as chemical colors but abuse industrial pigments in food processing.
Even their names indicate, these are industrial-only substances, such as coloring to dye fabrics, making paint, making cheap toys. Because of its use in industry, most of these substances have not been clinically studied in terms of risk or research has shown that it is not allowed to be used in food.
The more colorful the food is, the more dangerous it is.
The current reality shows that, due to economic benefits, many people despite the color of food processing industry. According to Dr. Tran Quang Tung, industrial color products do not require purity, so it is possible to mix dangerous impurities. In addition, they often cling very firmly, so when they enter the body these substances also adhere to the organs, making the excretion process more difficult. Gradually, the amount of color accumulated in the body can cause poisoning and entail many other consequences.
Dr. Tran Quang Tung, for example, Rhodamine B is an industrial color product that is not allowed to be used in food. However, recently, the authorities have discovered this substance is abused in dyeing red melon seeds, marinated with dried beef, even creating eye-catching colors in the roasted duck or sweet sour ribs ... When eating foods containing Rhodamine B, depending on the dose used, users may experience symptoms such as nausea, headache, dizziness. More dangerous, this is a carcinogen, very dangerous to health if used for a long time. Besides, yellow umbrella is also an industrial color or abused. This is a yellow substance, which can be detected in fresh bamboo shoots in many businesses to color and slow down the decomposition of this food.
How to identify food marinated by industrial colors
Natural color products.
According to Dr. Tran Quang Tung, by common sense, to affirm exactly that certain foods are abused in industrial processing is not a simple thing. However, there are still some signs of identification, consumers can rely on it to consider whether to use the food or not. For example, natural colors on food are usually not flashy and colorful but slightly pale. However, when we look at it, we still see the clear, fresh, healthy color. If the food is left in the air for a long time, the color on the food will fade, even change to another color. Besides, when holding these foods, the color is easily removed from the skin like the industrial color (for example, the sticky rice will be slightly red in the hands. The color of gac is fat, vitamins, substances fat should look more shiny, industrial color is not that glossy.) Industrial colors are high in color, not tarnish, so if certain foods stay in the air but still retain a vivid color, they may have been abused of industrial colors for preservation.
Particularly for Rhodamine B is a fluorescence, glowing in the dark, so it can be detected by darkening. However, the content is low so it is difficult to detect. A tip for families with money scanners that can shine on red-colored foods, for example dried beef, melon seeds, if it is glowing, there is evidence of it. Also according to Dr. Tung, summer, people often prefer seafood, especially when traveling. However, this food group is often abused to preserve, bleach and deodorize. In it, the bleaching type that business owners often use is old oxygen because it is odorless and hard to detect. If this solution is abused at high doses, it may cause stomach bleeding to the user. Therefore, for seafood, if it has been bleached and deodorized, they will no longer have a characteristic smell (fishy smell). Besides, if you look at the eye-catching appearance, but when using your hands to press on them, it is friable, no longer the natural elasticity of fresh seafood, meaning that they have also been enchanted by toxic chemicals harm.
Referring to the identification of alcohol mixed with chemicals, according to Dr. Tran Quang Tung, natural alcohol for longer will be more delicious; and with alcohol made from industrial alcohol, it will gradually lose the aroma of alcohol. With colored wines, wine, consumers can observe the surface above the bottle. The good wine will have a viscosity on the surface, on the contrary, the color wine will be mixed with alcohol, the color above will be lighter than the bottom of the bottle, the drink tastes markedly.
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Translated and edited by High Tech Brain
