Aunt Li is planning to cook a big meal for her family. But Lao Wang, her wife, was there with a bitter face, holding a bottle of oyster sauce in her hand, like a child with a hot potato.
"Lao Li, look at this news. Lao Wang held up his mobile phone, and the words beating on the screen made people tremble - oyster sauce may cause cancer. Lao Wang's voice trembled a little, obviously feeling uncomfortable.
As soon as Aunt Li heard this, she quickly put down the frying spoon and walked to Lao Wang's side. When she looked closely, the headlines were indeed quite scary. For a moment, her heart seemed to have knocked over the five-flavor bottle, and she didn't know what to say.
Aunt Li pondered in her heart, can this thing on the Internet really make people believe it?
In recent years, with the increasing attention of people to health, food safety issues have also attracted more and more attention. As a traditional Chinese condiment, oyster sauce is loved by people because of its unique flavor and taste.
However, there are concerns about whether the high incidence of cancer in China is related to oyster sauce. But in fact, the occurrence of cancer is related to a variety of factors and cannot be attributed to oyster sauce alone. We would like to remind you that the following four condiments can be eaten with confidence.
01
The controversy over oyster sauce is not unfounded. In recent years, there have been a number of online claims that oyster sauce may cause cancer, focusing on the monosodium glutamate in oyster sauce and the aflatoxin growth that can occur if oyster sauce is not stored properly.
These concerns are unsettling for many housewives, for whom the health of their family is paramount, and any food that may pose a risk needs to be treated with caution.
02
Monosodium glutamate, as the core component of monosodium glutamate, is an amino acid that is ubiquitous in nature.
It is not only found in oyster sauce, but also in a wide variety of ingredients, such as vegetables, meat and dairy products.
It is worth mentioning that monosodium glutamate has been recognized as a safe condiment. The World Health Organization and many authoritative organizations have solemnly stated that moderate intake of monosodium glutamate is not harmful to the human body.
However, there are concerns that monosodium glutamate may turn into monosodium pyroglutamate in a hot environment, a substance that is often seen as harmful.
However, the results of scientific research tell us that sodium pyroglutamate is not carcinogenic. Even at high temperatures, some conversions of monosodium glutamate may occur, but these conversions do not pose a real health risk to the human body.
Therefore, we can safely enjoy oyster sauce or MSG containing monosodium glutamate without panicking.
03
Aflatoxin, a well-known strong carcinogen, is mainly a harmful substance produced by molds that thrive under certain conditions. That's why we must pay enough attention to the storage environment of oyster sauce.
Improperly stored oyster sauce does pose a risk of contamination with aflatoxin. In order to ensure the safety of our diet, it is important to pay attention to how oyster sauce is preserved.
When oyster sauce is opened, it should be refrigerated immediately to prevent the deterioration of oyster sauce by inhibiting microbial activity with the help of low temperatures.
When buying oyster sauce, we should gravitate towards brands that have a good reputation in the market and strict production processes to ensure that the oyster sauce we buy is of high quality, safe and reliable.
At the same time, it is also essential to regularly check the shelf life of oyster sauce, and with the correct way to use it, we can not only avoid unnecessary waste, but also ensure the safety of food and protect the health of our families.
04
In addition to oyster sauce, there are many other condiments in our kitchen such as MSG, soy sauce, ginger and vinegar which are also commonly used in daily cooking.
These condiments are safe to use in moderation and add a unique flavor to a dish.
For example, MSG can enhance the umami taste of food and increase appetite, while soy sauce is fermented from soybeans, wheat and other raw materials, which has a unique flavor and contains a variety of nutrients.
Ginger is both a condiment and a medicinal herb with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, while vinegar enhances the taste of dishes and helps digestion and blood sugar regulation.
Of course, when using these condiments, you also need to pay attention to the principle of moderation, because excessive intake of any food may bring adverse reactions.
05
Of course, in addition to the choice of condiments in the kitchen, we also need to be wary of other potential safety hazards.
For example, overnight meals can harbor bacteria or produce harmful substances such as nitrite due to improper storage, so they should be avoided as much as possible or made sure to be thoroughly heat-treated before eating.
It is also worth noting that rice cookers with broken liners may cause aluminium ions to leach out and enter the body with food, causing adverse health effects.
Therefore, we should check the condition of the rice cooker regularly and replace it in time to ensure food safety.
06
Food safety is an issue that each of us should pay attention to, and the selection of condiments requires us to be cautious.
With an in-depth understanding of oyster sauce and other condiments, we can understand that they are safe and add richness to our dishes when used and stored correctly.
In daily life, we should not only pay attention to the selection of ingredients and condiments, but also pay attention to other potential safety hazards in the kitchen, so as to achieve a scientific diet and a healthy life. Let's work together to protect the health of ourselves and our families.