People eat three meals a day, and they can't do without salt. Salt has an irreplaceable position in people's lives. It is precisely because of this that the information about salt has always attracted people's attention.
No, recently there is a message about salt forwarded in the circle of friends, which has attracted the attention of many people. This information said that when buying salt, be sure to carefully check whether it contains anti-caking agents, that is, potassium ferrocyanide, saying that such salt will have a bad impact on the body if it is consumed for a long time.
So, can salt containing anti-caking agents be edible? Is this a rumor, or is it true?
The elderly worry that salt will hurt the body
Mr. Bai, who lives in the Hubin Teachers' Garden Community, has been confused recently, because his mother called him and somehow said that the salt in the family could no longer be eaten, and asked Mr. Bai to go to the supermarket to buy salt without anti-caking agents.
After Mr. Bai carefully asked his mother, he learned that it turned out that his mother saw someone forwarding a message about edible salt in the WeChat circle of friends, which was particularly long, which said that after someone ate salt containing anti-caking agents, that is, potassium ferrocyanide, the body had various adverse reactions. First of all, the appetite is not good, and the physical examination finds that the transaminases are high and the total bilirubin is also high. Even in the worst cases, it feels like something is wrong with the kidneys. Eventually, he attributed the root cause of these adverse reactions to potassium ferrocyanide, the anti-caking agent in table salt.
The message also details many examples, claiming that this anti-caking agent is a "chronic poison", which is shocking.
According to Mr. Bai, he read this information is also a bit blind, do not know whether this is true or false, carefully look at the packaging of salt in the home, indeed contain anti-caking agents. In order to find out and reassure his mother, he contacted the reporter to find out what the truth was.
Anti-caking agents are toxic is a rumor
What role does the anti-caking agent in table salt play, and will it be toxic? The reporter interviewed Teacher Wang Wanfu, who has been engaged in chemistry teaching for many years.
Wang Wanfu told reporters that after carefully reading this information, it can be concluded that this is a rumor. The purpose of the fabricators may be to create chaos in the salt market, or it may be for other purposes, but this practice is certainly illegal.
According to Teacher Wang, the anti-caking agent in table salt, that is, potassium ferrocyanide, is actually a food additive. The role of anti-caking agents is mainly to keep the salt in a loose state and prevent the salt from sticking together, so that the salt taste is mixed evenly when stir-frying, and it will not put too much.
Rumors that this additive is toxic are even more nonsense. First, potassium ferrocyanide is a legal food additive. Potassium ferrocyanide is an additive that is supported by very rigorous scientific research and reliable data before approval for use. Whether there is acute toxicity, chronic toxicity, teratogenicity, carcinogenic and other issues, scientific testing is carried out without problems, and then it will be approved for use.
Therefore, teacher Wang Wanfu said that the public should believe in science and must not believe this kind of online rumor that is made out of nothing.
Salt companies debunk rumors
The reporter interviewed daqing salt industry company on this matter.
Relevant staff told reporters that the news that salt additives are toxic is a rumor. Table salt is a necessity that people cannot do without, if it contains toxic additives, the relevant regulatory departments of the state will turn a blind eye.
At the same time, the staff member also told reporters that this rumor appeared many years ago, when many people forwarded it online, and the relevant departments had already clarified it.
Recently, such rumors have appeared again in our city, indicating that these citizens lack judgment and blindly follow the trend.
At the same time, the staff of the salt industry company also told reporters that the salt on the market is generally divided into refined salt and sea salt, and sea salt does not contain this additive, so it is not excluded that the manufacturer maliciously competes for the possibility of deliberately doing it.
It is hoped that the general public can think about the problem from a scientific point of view, do not believe rumors, and do not wantonly forward them on the Internet without clarifying the truth, which is a very irresponsible behavior.
It is illegal to spread rumors
Online rumors refer to events that have no factual basis for dissemination through network media, such as WeChat groups, QQ groups, Tieba groups, Weibo spaces, self-media, mailboxes, chat software, social platforms, website forums, etc.
Rumors spread suddenly and quickly, so they are prone to adverse effects on normal social order.
Acts of fabricating or deliberately disseminating false terrorist information that seriously disrupt social order are acts of rumor-mongering and are also illegal acts.
When citizens publish messages on social media such as WeChat, QQ groups and other online platforms, they must think twice before acting, and when forwarding, they must be clear-eyed and not be used by villains with ulterior motives.
For information, the most taboo is false information. False information is together with real information, and the fish is confused, blinding people's eyes and affecting people's judgment of the authenticity of information.
In an era of diversified communication, whether it is government agencies, mass media or individual citizens, what they have to do is to jointly resist the spread of false and harmful information, especially malicious rumors, and vigorously advocate true and civilized information exchange and circulation, which is the bottom line of the Internet age.