Looking at this point is immediately known that food has been bleached, do not be foolish to buy

How to identify 'dirty' foods

In addition to the contamination from battery-dyed foods, experts say, consumers are also at risk of facing many chemical-impregnated foods such as lead, borax, arsenic, etc. sulfur . It is worth mentioning that these chemicals are increasingly being used in food processing.

For example, pork injects a lean substance; spring rolls "marinated" borax; vegetable spray stimulates growth; sulfur-impregnated bamboo shoots; Animal organs are bleached with toxic chemicals and then marketed.

Talking about how to identify battery-abusing foods, Assoc.Prof.Dr. Nguyen Duy Thinh said that visual recognition is not easy, especially for corn or boiled potatoes.

With boiled rice cake with battery can be based on a number of characteristics: The outer bark is purple or green; cracked green crust, more sticky, more eye-catching; People do not have the fragrance, amaranth because of rapid ripening. Boiled rice cakes by the traditional method often do not catch the eye because the color of leaves and crust are often yellowish, not green.

With foods at risk of molasses, experts say there are many ways to distinguish food with borax, such as by taste and color.

To identify, if you see the noodle is pure white, glossy and not as natural as the white of rice, it has been used chemical whitening.

For pork skin, normally it will be no longer white in the air, so the sign to identify the use of bleach is when it is pure white and not ruddy. Pork, especially if it's already boiled, it's best not to buy it if it is excessively white, '' she said.

Bamboo shoots: Based on the senses can distinguish natural fresh bamboo shoots and chemical soaked bamboo shoots. Accordingly, natural fresh bamboo shoots when salted are usually bright yellow, while chemical soaked bamboos are pale white or dark yellow due to being soaked with yellow powder. If natural bamboo shoots for some time, they will have a slightly dark color while the soaked goods are white. In addition, non-soaked bamboo shoots are often tough and not brittle; while bamboo shoots are soaked with brittle chemicals and easy to break.

Hazards from bleaching agents

There are types of bleaching such as Oxalic acid, Javen water, Sodium Sulfite . allowed but only with a certain dosage. When used in excess will cause vomiting, dizziness, diarrhea. According to the doctor, has yet to realize the carcinogenic potential of these whitening agents. However, if used regularly, the speed will also accumulate and potential cancer.

'For sensitized people, when using foods with high levels of hydrogen sulfide, it will lower blood pressure, causing bronchospasm. In the long run, they will suffer from asthma and even coma leading to death if hypersensitivity and high doses, 'said Dr. Lan.