Bread such as donuts and buns is made with a bulking agent. (Photo/Recapital from pixabay)
Reporter Xie Cheng'en / Comprehensive Report
In the baking, bun, steamed bun, and noodle products industries, "bulking agents" are often added to the food processing process, so that the food is expanded in volume and the tissue is puffed up due to the addition of carbon dioxide. The most common natural bulking agent is the yeast used in making bread and steamed buns, which ferments a part of the sugar in the dough to produce carbon dioxide, and the gluten has enough volume to support, and finally produces bread that becomes larger and softer.
Introduction of bulking agents
● Soda powder: The most commonly used chemical bulking agent is soda powder, commonly known as baking soda, which is a fine white powder alkaline, which can release carbon dioxide when neutralized with water and heat or with other acidic salts.
● Hair powder: for neutral fine white powder, commonly known as foaming or baking powder. It is made of soda powder combined with various other acidic materials or acidic salts and fillers, and when it meets water, it neutralizes and reacts to release carbon dioxide.
● Ammonium powder: Because ammonium powder produces carbon dioxide, it will also produce ammonia, which is commonly known as Armonia, which is less used in the industry. When making fritters, the use of high temperature will slowly release the gas expander, due to the fritter frying process, need to slowly release the gas, will use aluminum-containing alum bulking agent, may hurt the brain nerves, is also one of the key themes of everyone.
Excessive intake of aluminum can cause damage such as aging, anemia, and brain degeneration. (Photo/ Courtesy of China Food Safety Association)
A few years ago, the Consumer Foundation announced a survey of commercially available foods, and found that 67% of donuts, fritters, steamed buns and many other foods that use aluminum-containing bulking agents contain aluminum ingredients, and eating more may be harmful to the human body! Long-term excessive intake of aluminum will cause aging, brain degeneration, gastrointestinal diseases, anemia, osteoporosis and other diseases in the human body, and excessive aluminum content in the body will also have problems such as premature aging and reduced cardiopulmonary function.
If excessive aluminum is stored in the brain, in addition to mental and cerebral nerve degeneration, memory weakening, forgetfulness and other phenomena, it may eventually lead to dementia in the elderly. In addition, aluminum will reduce the role of pepsin, resulting in a decrease in gastric juice secretion, there will be abdominal accounts and indigestion, constipation and other gastrointestinal diseases. In addition, aluminum in the gastrointestinal tract will affect the absorption and metabolism of iron, resulting in iron deficiency anemia, but also affect the normal metabolism of phosphorus and calcium, making bones brittle, thus leading to the occurrence of osteoporosis.
Dr. Huang Naiyun, director of the China Food Safety Association, pointed out that if you are worried about eating too much aluminum, or the source of the ingredients is unknown, you can also identify the pure label Clean Label", and its certified food means "reducing or removing too many additives", "simple formula", "simple processing process", "information transparency", eating with peace of mind and rest assured.