Introduction: On May 23, 2023, the State Administration for Market Regulation issued a shocking notice involving 8 batches of food inspection failures.
Among them, the small-pressed sesame oil produced by Inner Mongolia Maxiang Trading Co., Ltd. was detected with benzopyrene, and its detection value exceeded the national food safety standards by as much as 4 times.
This news immediately aroused great concern among the general public, after all, edible oil is an indispensable part of every family's dining table.
In fact, this is not the first time that the quality of edible oil has been exposed. Looking back on the past few years, similar incidents of unqualified sampling are not uncommon.
On May 9, 2023, the Inner Mongolia Market Supervision Bureau issued a notice, pointing out that the acid price of sunflower oil sold by a local grain and oil store did not meet the national standard.
On November 18, 2022, the official website of the State Administration for Market Regulation announced that 11 batches of food were unqualified in the inspection, including the excessive content of aflatoxin B1 in peanut oil and the value of self-pressed peanut oleic acid.
What's even more shocking is that on November 26, 2021, the website of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Administration for Market Regulation also issued a notice, pointing out that 4 batches of oil had problems such as acid price, ethyl maltol, peroxide value, and dehydroacetic acid exceeding the standard.
As a must-have on the people's table, the quality of edible oil is directly related to our health. Long-term consumption of substandard edible oil may cause serious harm to the human body, such as damaging the liver and increasing the risk of cancer.
These frequently exposed sampling failures can't help but make people worry: is the edible oil we consume every day safe?
01
How harmful is it to the body after eating substandard oil?
Long-term consumption of substandard oil is a risk that cannot be ignored for our health. Cooking oil is an integral part of our daily cooking, but if there is a problem with some of its indicators, it can be potentially harmful to our body.
benzopyrene
Benzopyrene is a substance recognized as a carcinogen, which is chemically stable, teratogenic, carcinogenic and biotoxic.
Imagine that when we use oil containing benzopyrene in the cooking process, these harmful substances will enter our body with smoke and food, and accumulate in the long term, with unimaginable consequences.
In order to ensure the quality of oil, the National Food Safety Standard Limits of Contaminants in Food (GB 2762-2017) clearly stipulates that the maximum limit of benzopyrene in oils and fats and their products is 10μg/kg.
Acid value
Acid value is also one of the important indicators to judge the quality of oil, and the level of acid value directly reflects the degree of rancidity of oil.
When the acid value is exceeded, the food will emit an unpleasant hala smell, and when the standard is seriously exceeded, aldehydes and ketones will be produced, which will cause gastrointestinal discomfort and even damage to the liver once we ingest.
Aflatoxin
It has to be mentioned that aflatoxin, aflatoxin B1 is one of the most carcinogenic chemicals known, it has strong toxicity to humans and animals, especially the most obvious damage to the liver, and long-term intake may even induce liver cancer.
The reason for the failure of aflatoxin B1 in oil products is often related to the contamination of aflatoxin B1 by molds such as Aspergillus flavus during harvesting, transportation and storage.
02
Which oil is the "most" unhealthy for the body?
Peanut oil, an indispensable edible oil in our daily life, often appears on the shelves of supermarkets, with a unique aroma, especially those freshly squeezed peanut oil, which is even more mouth-watering.
In the eyes of many people, peanut oil may be just an ordinary cooking oil, however, it is actually rich in nutritional value.
Peanut oil is rich in components such as zinc, vitamin E and choline, which not only increase the activity of human cells, but also help improve memory and delay aging.
In addition, the unsaturated fatty acids in peanut oil are also essential for the human body, which can purify the blood, lower cholesterol and triglycerides, and escort our health.
However, in recent years, there have been frequent news about the detection of aflatoxin in peanut oil, which has raised questions about its safety. Aflatoxin, a toxic substance produced by Aspergillus flavus, has been recognized as a Class 1 carcinogen by the World Health Organization. Long-term intake of low-dose aflatoxin or short-term high-dose intake may increase the risk of primary hepatocellular carcinoma.
Therefore, when we buy peanut oil, we must choose a regular brand, and pay attention to check the "QS" logo, production date, processing technology, grade and edible oil name on the label.
Although there may be a risk of aflatoxin in peanut oil, this does not mean that we cannot consume peanut oil. As long as we choose a regular brand of peanut oil and follow a healthy diet, we can still enjoy the deliciousness and nutrition brought by peanut oil.
At the same time, we should also be wary of the so-called "earth-pressed peanut oil" produced by small workshops, which often have unguaranteed sanitary conditions and greater safety risks. Let's enjoy food while also paying attention to food safety and taking responsibility for our own health.
03
There are also rumors that soybean oil contains trans fats and is the most junkied oil? Is this true?
Recently, there have been many rumours that soybean oil contains a lot of trans fats and that it can be significantly increased when cooked at high temperatures, posing a health threat. However, this is not the case.
Trans fatty acids do have adverse effects on cardiovascular health, and long-term excessive intake may increase the risk of coronary heart disease, cancer, diabetes, etc., but the key is intake.
Vegetable oils such as soybean oil do produce trans fats during the refining process, but the content is not high, only about 1.44% at the highest.
At the same time, the mainland dietary guidelines recommend that the average daily oil consumption should be between 25-30g, and the intake of trans fatty acids should be less than 2g.
Based on a daily intake of 30g of soybean oil, the intake of trans fats is only 0.42g, which is far below the recommended value of the dietary guidelines.
Therefore, we don't need to worry too much about the trans fats in soybean oil. When consumed in moderation, soybean oil is safe to consume.
We should abandon those exaggerated and alarmist rumors and look at food nutrition issues rationally.
When choosing edible oils, you should pay attention to the appropriate amount and variety, and avoid long-term excessive intake of any kind of oils and fats to maintain cardiovascular health and overall nutritional balance.
04
Reminder: Use these 2 oils sparingly
Trans fatty acids, such as margarine, margarine
Trans fatty acids are unsaturated fats that are found in very low amounts in their natural state. However, the production of trans fatty acids increases significantly during food processing, especially in the production of partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
This processing makes vegetable oils more stable and increases the shelf life of foods, but it also increases the content of trans fatty acids. Excessive intake of trans fatty acids is closely related to a range of health problems, including increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease, promoting the occurrence of obesity, and accelerating the development of diabetes.
Margarine and margarine are two typical foods rich in trans fatty acids. In the past, they were widely used in the food industry due to their low cost and good processing properties. However, as people become more aware of the dangers of trans fatty acids, more and more people are paying attention to and avoiding the intake of these foods.
Frying oil
With the increasing pursuit of food taste by modern people, fried foods such as fried chicken and French fries have gradually become the darlings of the table, and behind these delicacies, they are often accompanied by a large amount of fat use.
In order to save cost and time, many people choose to reuse the fried oil and use it to stir-fry other dishes. However, this practice poses a potential threat to our physical health. After frying oil is subjected to high temperatures, the nutrients in it have long been destroyed, and to make matters worse, they also produce many harmful substances, such as carcinogens such as acrylamide, as well as too many trans fatty acids.
When these harmful substances enter the body with our diet, they can silently erode our health. Long-term intake of these harmful substances not only increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer, but also accelerates the aging process of the body. Therefore, for the sake of our health, we must resolutely resist this unhealthy eating habit.
05
How should you choose cooking oil?
Learn about the different types of cooking oils and their characteristics
Common edible oils are rapeseed oil, peanut oil, corn oil, sunflower oil, olive oil, flaxseed oil, etc. These oils are different in terms of nutrient content, smoke point, taste, etc., so you need to choose the right oil according to your needs.
Pay attention to the purity of the oil
High-quality cooking oil should be clear and transparent, free of impurities and odors. The purity of the oil can be judged by observing the color and transparency of the oil, as well as smelling its smell.
Pay attention to the origin and production process of edible oil
High-quality edible oil often comes from a high-quality planting environment and is refined through scientific production technology. Therefore, it is very important to choose a reputable brand and a reliable channel to buy.
Consider the smoke point of the oil
Different oils have different smoke points, which is the temperature at which they start to smoke. When cooking at high temperatures, you should choose oils with high smoke points, such as rapeseed oil, peanut oil, etc., to avoid the production of harmful substances. When cooking at low temperatures or cold dishes, you can choose oils with a lower smoke point, such as olive oil, flaxseed oil, etc.
06
No matter what kind of oil you eat, you should pay attention to the following 5 points
Control your intake
Regardless of the type of oil, excessive intake can lead to health problems. Therefore, we need to take a moderate amount of fat and fat every day according to nutritional advice to avoid excessive consumption.
Pay attention to the quality of the oil
A good quality oil should be clear and transparent, free of odors and impurities. When purchasing, we can choose a reputable brand and take care to check the shelf life and production date of the product.
Store it in the right way
The oil should be stored in a cool, dry, ventilated place, away from direct sunlight and high temperatures. At the same time, use airtight containers for storage to prevent oxidation and contamination.
Pay attention to the way you cook
When cooking at high temperatures, you should choose oils that are resistant to high temperatures, such as peanut oil, corn oil, etc. Avoid using oils that are not suitable for high-temperature cooking, such as olive oil, flaxseed oil, etc., to avoid the production of harmful substances.
Diverse options
Different oils contain different nutrients, so we should diversify our choices to get a complete range of nutrients. You can try to use different kinds of oils such as canola oil, sunflower oil, sesame oil, etc., to meet the needs of the body.
Focus on the health effects of the oil
Some oils have special health effects, such as the monounsaturated fatty acids in olive oil that help lower cholesterol and the omega-3 fatty acids in flaxseed oil that are beneficial for cardiovascular health. When choosing an oil, we can focus on these health effects to better choose the right one for us.
In conclusion, no matter which oil you choose, we need to pay attention to the above six points to ensure that our diet is healthy and safe. At the same time, we should also choose edible oil reasonably according to our own health status and nutritional needs to maintain our physical health.