Recently, the Mid-Autumn Festival mooncake gift of the well-known Internet platform "Zhihu" has been on the hot search because of diarrhea after users eat it. On September 9, the New Yellow River reporter contacted the zhihu customer service staff, and the staff said that they were not clear about the matter and would call back by a special person later. However, as of press time, the reporter has not received a reply.
Previously, Zhihu had issued an apology letter, saying that the factory mooncakes had been tested by the producer and independent third-party institutions and met the relevant quality standards of the food industry. However, ignoring that maltitol may cause some people to be unwell, it was decided to recall all mooncakes.
"Knowing the mooncake" ate diarrhea? Official: All mooncakes are being recalled
On the eve of the Mid-Autumn Festival, "Zhihu" customized the mooncake gift box for some well-known people and high-quality users in China. It is understood that the customized gift box launched by Zhihu has 6 pieces of mooncakes, which are divided into osmanthus cranberries, coffee hazelnuts, milk yellow flowing hearts and other flavors.
However, many users reported that after tasting the mooncake, there was a situation of diarrhea. On the evening of September 8, the topic of "knowing that the mooncake ate diarrhea" quickly rushed to the first place in the Weibo hot search list. The New Yellow River reporter contacted Liu Lei (pseudonym), who received the mooncake gift box. "I didn't have much appetite last night, and when I saw the gift box, I opened it and ate a piece." Liu Lei said that there was no discomfort after eating, "but after an hour, I began to have diarrhea." ”
On the evening of September 8, Zhihu issued an apology letter, saying that the Mid-Autumn Festival mooncake had been tested by the producer and an independent third-party organization and met the relevant quality standards of the food industry. However, ignoring maltitol, which replaces sucrose, may lead to intolerance in some people, causing physical discomfort. For the confidant who reported the problem, we have contacted and provided the best possible remedy and service, and recalled all mooncakes.
The person in charge of the purchase of the mooncake involved also issued an apology, "Our original intention was to buy healthier low-sugar mooncakes from the products provided by the supplier, and we did not expect to become part of the tradition of knowing 'laxatives' in such a posture." In the future, in the process of product selection and procurement, stricter and higher standards and requirements will be implemented. ”
On the afternoon of September 9, the New Yellow River reporter contacted the zhihu customer service staff, the staff said that the matter is not clear, there will be a call back later, but as of press time, the reporter has not received a reply.
Is maltitol the "bane"? A single intake of more than 20 g can cause osmotic diarrhea
Why do I know that the mooncake will cause diarrhea after eating it? The New Yellow River reporter learned that in order to respond to the health needs of contemporary young people and abandon the shortcomings of traditional mooncakes with high sugar and high oil, the Mid-Autumn Festival mooncake gift box of Zhihu adopts the low-sugar mooncake program. As can be seen from the list of ingredients for the mooncake, maltitol is used instead of the sucrose in the mooncake.
Qian Cheng, an excellent respondent who knows the topic of food safety and a master of food processing engineering who graduated from the Illinois Institute of Technology, said that the factory test report of the mooncake involved showed that its microbial indicators were normal, and the root cause of diarrhea should be "too much maltitol added".
Qian Cheng also said that excessive intake of maltitol can cause osmotic diarrhea, and osmotic diarrhea can not be regarded as a food safety problem. "If the mooncake can be a risk warning, such as eating only half a piece at a time, then it is not a big problem." Other sugar alcohol cakes on the market should also pay attention to the amount of consumption to avoid similar problems. ”
According to the ingredient list, Qian Cheng speculated that the amount of maltitol added to the mooncake may be between 20% and 30%, and 75g of a month's cake may contain 15 to 22.5g, "For more sensitive people, a single intake of more than 20g of maltitol may lead to osmotic diarrhea symptoms." ”
Sugar alcohols have no specific rules in food production, and nutrition experts issue "prescriptions"
The New Yellow River reporter consulted the market supervision, food and drug administration and other relevant departments to learn that at present, it is not clear whether there is a maximum limit for the use and addition of sugar alcohols in food production, and it is necessary to further inquire about the relevant regulations. The New Yellow River reporter inquired about the provisions of the National Standard of the People's Republic of China GB/T19855 mooncake and found that the specific rules for the added content of sugar alcohols in the regulations were not reflected.
Many countries have set maximum limits for sugar alcohols that are more sensitive to the human body, such as the European Union's upper limit on the addition of erythritol to beverages at 1.6%, and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires products that use some sugar alcohols to be described on the label, indicating that the product has a "laxative" risk.
From xylitol gum to many sugar substitute drinks, sugar alcohols are widely used as an alternative to sucrose. A nutritionist at a third-class hospital in Jinan introduced, "Sugar alcohol is different from sucrose, and sugar alcohol is not easy to digest, so it will not bring too much blood sugar to the body." However, indigestion is both an advantage and a disadvantage, because it stays in the intestine for a long time, it is easy to cause problems such as flatulence and diarrhea. ”
How can I avoid eating sugar alcohols that cause diarrhea? Dietitians believe that the easiest way is not to eat too much, or you can eat it with other things, and try to avoid eating it directly on an empty stomach. Avoid causing sugar alcohols to cause excessive osmotic pressure in the digestive tract, so as not to cause digestive symptoms such as flatulence and diarrhea.
New Yellow River reporter: Chen Yuanhao
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