Aunt Li, a neighbor, always likes to visit the morning market on weekdays, carefully selecting fresh vegetables to add color to the family's table.
One day she heard two aunts talking in the market: "I heard that some vegetables are now added with formaldehyde, you said that this life is too good, and you can't even eat a vegetable at ease!"
- This made Aunt Li's heart tighten, isn't formaldehyde the main culprit of decoration pollution?
1. Whether the rumors of formaldehyde vegetables are true
Do vegetables tied with plastic tape really contain formaldehyde?
It is rumored that vegetables bundled with plastic tape may contain formaldehyde because of the formaldehyde in the adhesive of the tape, which is worried about the health threat after consumption.
But in fact, Huang Shan (pseudonym), deputy director of a food inspection and research institute, explained that the formaldehyde content of this kind of tape is negligible and basically harmless to the human body.
Is it safe to soak the formaldehyde in the garlic moss out of season and then refrigerate?
It is reported that the out-of-season garlic moss is stored in cold storage after formaldehyde treatment, which is not good for health after eating. But the fact is that garlic moss is usually soaked in a preservative emulsion to prevent mildew aging, not formaldehyde.
Liu Shaowei (pseudonym), deputy director of the Food and Drug Regulatory Research Center of a university of technology, clearly pointed out that although formaldehyde is widely used in the preservation of animal specimens, it is not an ideal method option for the preservation of garlic moss.
Baby cabbage soaked in formaldehyde to keep it tender and green, can it really cause cancer?
It is rumored on the Internet that in order to make baby cabbage look fresher, it will be soaked in formaldehyde. In fact, Professor Liu Shaowei (pseudonym) pointed out that formaldehyde will not be added to baby cabbage sold through formal channels.
Even if some unscrupulous businesses operate in violation of regulations, formaldehyde will volatilize in large quantities during transportation, storage and cooking, and it will not be poisoned when eaten under normal circumstances.
Second, formaldehyde preservation is not economical, and the health risk is high
Although formaldehyde (formalin solution) has bleaching, antiseptic, and disinfecting effects, merchants actually prefer to use compliant fungicides such as prochloraz.
The use of formaldehyde is not only against the regulations, but it is also not cheap, and it also poses a health risk to yourself. In reality, in order to achieve the anti-corrosion effect, formaldehyde needs to be used in high concentrations.
The high concentration of formaldehyde has an obvious pungent odor, and it is almost impossible for vegetables from regular channels to have such a problem.
In the daily life environment, formaldehyde is widely found in fried vegetable fumes, automobile exhaust, human metabolites and some daily necessities, as long as the concentration is not high, it will generally not have an impact on health.
After Aunt Li learned the truth, she changed the way she bought vegetables. She started buying only from large supermarkets and qualified farmers' markets, and tried to choose vegetables that were not tied with tape.
When she gets home, she makes sure that each dish is fully heated and cooked, taking advantage of the volatile nature of formaldehyde to reduce potential hazards.
At the same time, Auntie Li pays attention to food diversity at the table, which not only ensures balanced nutrition, but also reduces the risk of food poisoning.
In the face of food safety concerns such as formaldehyde vegetables in life, we must look at it rationally and do not listen to the wind is the rain.
As suggested by Wang Silu (pseudonym), a senior national food inspector, consumers should buy through formal channels, ensure that food is heated and consumed, maintain dietary diversity, make rational judgments and reject rumors.
Although formaldehyde is ubiquitous in life, as long as we take precautions scientifically, we can protect our health to the greatest extent while enjoying delicious food. Therefore, whether it is eating vegetables or living, we should remember: "Rumors stop at the wise, and safety begins with details".
Note: The health and wellness suggestions in the article are for reference only (part of the picture is from the Internet, and the infringement contact is deleted)