Beware! More poisonous than arsenic, this carcinogen often appears during the Chinese New Year

Aflatoxins

10 times more toxic than potassium cyanide

68 times that of arsenic

It is also classified as a Class 1 carcinogen by the World Health Organization

So poisonous?

I don't eat moldy food.

It has little to do with me

alert!

Aflatoxins are everywhere

1. Aflatoxin is hidden in these places

1. Soaked black fungus

Fungus contains a large amount of protein and cellulose. After soaking for a long time, it is easy to breed bacteria and mold, and may deteriorate and produce similar biological toxins.

2. Deteriorated cooking oil

If oyster sauce is opened and left at room temperature for a long time, it will easily oxidize and decompose, producing aflatoxin.

Therefore, after opening the lid, the oyster sauce must be kept in the refrigerator at a low temperature and consumed as soon as possible.

3. Wooden chopsticks and cutting boards that are not cleaned properly, damaged, or used for too long

The kitchen environment is humid, and chopsticks, cutting boards and other tableware are not washed clean, which will create conditions for the reproduction of aflatoxin.

In addition, if chopsticks, cutting boards and other tableware are used for too long and become damaged, they can easily hide food residues and breed aflatoxin.

4. Bitter Nuts

The bitter taste of melon seeds and other nuts is caused by aflatoxin.

If you eat nuts that become bitter, spit them out immediately and rinse your mouth.

5. Small workshops press oil

If some oil crops such as peanuts and corn become moldy during storage, the oil extracted may bring in aflatoxin. Small workshops have simple processes and may not be able to carefully select raw materials.

6. Spoiled rice

Spoiled rice may contain aflatoxin, which cannot be completely removed even after cooking. Rubbing the rice with your hands three or four times when washing it can remove most of the aflatoxin. Rice with an odor should be thrown away immediately.

7. Rotten fruit

Fruits are rich in water, and mold may spread inside along with the juice. Rotten fruit should be thrown away immediately, and you should not cut out the bad parts and continue to eat them. Be careful to avoid unscrupulous merchants who make rotten fruit into fruit plates, juices, etc. and then sell them.

8. Other moldy foods

Although mold is not necessarily Aspergillus flavus, many molds are harmful to the body.

Some people may think that moldy food or tableware can be sterilized by boiling them in water. It is true that high temperature can kill aflatoxin, but it requires a high temperature of 280 degrees Celsius, while the boiling point of water is only 100 degrees Celsius. Aflatoxin is resistant to ultraviolet rays and cannot be killed even by a sterilizing cabinet.

Some people think that if you remove the moldy part, the rest of the food is still edible. In fact, things that cannot be seen by the naked eye are not necessarily free of toxins.

Throw away all moldy food!

2. How toxic is aflatoxin?

Some people may think that we cannot discuss toxicity without considering the dosage, and that just a little bit of it is not a big problem.

But aflatoxin is really highly toxic, 10 times that of potassium cyanide and 68 times that of arsenic.

In mild cases, symptoms include fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, etc. In severe cases, symptoms may include pain in the liver area, edema of the lower limbs, and abnormal liver function. It is also a first-class carcinogen.

It’s better to stay away from it as much as possible!

3. Tips to stay away from aflatoxin

The following tips can help you stay away from aflatoxin!

1. Don’t hoard food

By not hoarding food, we can prevent food from becoming moldy and producing aflatoxin, thus solving the problem at the source.

Buy regular, fresh and brand-guaranteed food, and be careful not to store food in a high temperature and high humidity environment.

2. Wash your hands frequently

In addition to food, aflatoxin may also be present in the environment. Washing hands frequently can prevent the poison from entering the body through the mouth.

3. Pay attention to kitchen hygiene

After using wooden kitchen utensils, you can soak them to soften food residues, drain the water after washing, and place them in a dry and ventilated place with the chopstick heads facing upwards. The cutting board can be hung or stood up, not placed against the wall, and should be replaced regularly; it is best to rinse it again with running water before use.

4. Add salt when the oil is hot

After pouring the cooking oil into the pot, add a small amount of salt and stir for 10 to 20 seconds, which can eliminate most of the aflatoxin in the cooking oil.