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Expert in this article: Huang Shan, Henan Institute of Food Inspection, Deputy Chief Pharmacist
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Reviewer of this article: Liu Zhiyong, Henan Institute of Food Inspection, Professor, Chief Science Expert of Henan Province
Formaldehyde, many people talk about discoloration, but most It is learned from decoration, because formaldehyde is a good organic solvent and cheap, it is widely used in paint, board and other decoration materials. Excessive inhalation of formaldehyde in the human body will damage the body’s immunity, and it will also increase the risk of leukemia, which will slowly damage your body, so it is very important to prevent formaldehyde from invading the human body.
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Many people take measures such as long-term ventilation to remove as much formaldehyde as possible after the decoration is completed. There is also a situation related to formaldehyde that has frightened many people. In the early years, there was a statement on the Internet “Vegetables bound with tape exceeded the standard by 10 times”. Vegetables bound with tape are poisonous and cause cancer.
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Are all the vegetables tied with tape uneatable? Is this tape really toxic? Let me tell you the answer today.
Is the tape on vegetables toxic?
The reason why people suspect that the tapes tied to vegetables in supermarkets is toxic is that formaldehyde, the main component of tape adhesives, will cause harm to the human body. In fact, in the food safety law and related food safety standards, there are strict regulations on packaging materials that come into direct contact with food, including tapes, that is to sayplastic films that come into direct contact with food Both the adhesive and the adhesive are in line with the national standards, so there is no need to worry too much about the safety of excessive formaldehyde in the tape that meets the production requirements.
Long-term consumption of such bundled vegetables may cause cancer?
The degree of connection between the tape and formaldehyde itself is not high. According to the national standard, the formaldehyde content needs to be soaked in 4% acetic acid at 60℃ for two Hour. The area of the tape used in the vegetables sold on the market is much smaller than 1 square decimeter, and the contact temperature is much lower than 60 °C during the experiment, and the acidic environment required by the experimental conditions will not appear. Test data from third-party research institutions show that formaldehyde has not been detected in vegetable samples.
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Similarly, it is unscientific to talk about safety without dosage. The US Environmental Protection Agency proposes that it is safe to consume less than or equal to 0.2 mg of formaldehyde per kilogram of body weight per person per day. That is to say, an adult weighing 60 kg, the daily intake of formaldehyde will not have a substantial impact on the body as long as it does not exceed 12 mg.
Different from environmental decoration materials, tapes used to bind vegetables, its Plastic films and adhesives are relatively stable in the natural environment, and their formaldehyde content is low, so the possibility of releasing a large amount of formaldehyde during the placement process is relatively small. So basically it will not endanger your health, and there is no need to worry too much.
Does food contain formaldehyde?
Some foods (aquatic products, milk, vegetables, fruits, etc.) naturally contain trace amounts of formaldehyde, and different foods have different mechanisms for producing formaldehyde For example, there is a “trimethylamine oxide” substance in fish meat, which will decompose to produce a small amount of formaldehyde under the action of biological enzymes or microorganisms. Some seafood such as fresh squid have a formaldehyde content of about 20 mg per kilogram. Under the influence of storage environment and storage time, fruits and vegetables will generate a small amount of formaldehyde in the process of cell metabolism through respiration.
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In daily life, we can reduce the residue of formaldehyde in food by understanding the physical and chemical properties of formaldehyde.
Formaldehyde is easily soluble in water, and formaldehyde in food can be washed or soaked in water to remove part of formaldehyde; It is a volatile organic compound that is easily volatilized at room temperature. If the food is cooked or fried for a long time, that is, after high temperature treatment, the formaldehyde in the food can be completely removed.
So, If there is a small amount of formaldehyde residue on the vegetables, don’t be too nervous. Because of these properties of formaldehyde, it is difficult to remain on the surface of vegetables. After washing and cooking the vegetables bought in the supermarket, even if there are formaldehyde residues, they are basically eliminated by heating.
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