In a quiet town on the outskirts of Beijing, there lives a retired worker named Uncle Zhang. The 70-year-old man has silver-white hair and a kind smile. His Xi has always been simple, and the greatest pleasure of every day is to carry a basket and shuttle through the bustling vegetable market. Uncle Zhang has a special study of meat, from the tenderness of pork to the quality of chicken, he can always tell the good from the bad at a glance.
However, in recent times, Uncle Zhang has begun to feel unwell. At first, he just felt a little dizzy and tired, but soon, the symptoms became more and more apparent. He began to worry that these might have something to do with his diet.
One morning, as usual, Uncle Zhang was wandering around the vegetable market. While picking pork, he overheard a conversation between a vegetable vendor and a customer next to him. The vegetable vendor mentioned the health risks of two types of meat in the market, saying that these meats contained excessive levels of formaldehyde and heavy metals, and he did not dare to eat them. These words shocked Uncle Zhang, and he realized that this might be the reason for his physical discomfort.
He first recalled the words of the vegetable vendors, and the two types of meat he mentioned were some kind of imported frozen beef and cheap chicken, which is common in the market. Vegetable vendors seem to be well aware of the dangers of these two types of meat, but they avoid talking about them. Uncle Zhang decided to delve into the truth behind this.
In the course of the investigation, Uncle Zhang found that these meats are dangerous because they contain high amounts of formaldehyde and heavy metals. Formaldehyde, a common chemical, is often used for embalming and disinfection, but if consumed in excess, it can cause serious health problems, including respiratory diseases, immune system damage, and even cancer. Heavy metals such as lead, mercury and cadmium accumulate in the human body for a long time and cause irreversible damage to the liver, kidneys and nervous system.
Uncle Zhang realized that this was not an isolated phenomenon. In order to reduce costs, many unscrupulous traders use various chemicals to process meat to make it look fresher and more appealing. He was shocked and outraged that these were not only deceptions to consumers, but also a serious threat to public health.
As the investigation deepened, Uncle Zhang began to encounter some resistance. Some meat suppliers even tried to block his investigation, which strengthened his resolve. He began to gather more evidence, including taking samples for assays, as well as gathering feedback from other consumers.
In the process, Uncle Zhang also deepened his understanding of meat safety. He found that in addition to chemical contamination, irrational farming and slaughtering methods can also lead to an increase in bacterial and viral levels in meat. He began to realize how we, as consumers, should identify safe meats and choose healthy food sources.
As his physical condition continued to deteriorate, Uncle Zhang finally decided to go to the hospital for a comprehensive health check-up. The sudden appearance of so much discomfort in his good body for decades made him uneasy. The results of the examination were unexpected - the doctor told him that he had serious levels of heavy metals in his body. What shocked him even more was that the situation was likely related to the two types of meat that he had been eating frequently recently.
Recalling the conversation in the vegetable market that day, Uncle Zhang's heart sank. He began to investigate the origin and processing of these two types of meat, and found disturbing facts: the meat was actually added with formaldehyde to preserve the freshness due to non-standard operation during processing, and the heavy metal pollution in the breeding environment was serious. These poor processing and farming practices have resulted in harmful substances in meat that far exceed safety standards.
Deeply shaken, Uncle Zhang began to initiate healthy eating campaigns in his community. He shared his experiences and findings with his neighbors, warning them to be mindful of where meat comes from and how it's processed. He stressed that health is not just a matter for individuals, but also about the well-being of families and communities as a whole. Uncle Zhang's story quickly spread in the community, and many people began to pay attention to food safety and healthy eating.