Oyster sauce is an essential condiment in many family kitchens. But recently there have been some claims of "oyster sauce causing cancer" on the internet. It is understood that oyster sauce contains a large amount of monosodium glutamate, which turns into burnt monosodium glutamate when heated above 120 degrees Celsius. If you eat too much of it, it can cause cancer. Is this true.
Oyster sauce is made from oysters. The oyster juice is concentrated, then salt, sugar and cornstarch are added to flavor it. Finally, the juice is heated to a specified temperature. As for the rumor that oyster sauce causes cancer, monosodium glutamate is a very common substance in our lives. Oyster sauce, monosodium glutamate, chicken essence and other gustatory condiments all contain a certain amount of monosodium glutamate, which acts as a gustatory agent. Monosodium glutamate is globally recognized as a safe food additive, and none of the current studies have found that monosodium glutamate contains toxicity, so the claim that excessive consumption of monosodium glutamate causes cancer is false.
As for the claim that oyster sauce produces carcinogens when heated, it is nonsense. When oyster sauce is heated to too high a temperature it produces a very small amount of monosodium pyroglutamate, which poses no health risk, but loses its flavor effects at too high a temperature. There are no other hazards.
In addition to the "oyster sauce heating cancer said", there are also online "cooking oil not put in the refrigerator cold will cause cancer". In response to this claim, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Food Science and Engineering Professor Wang Hao said that although the oyster sauce is not stable, easy to be oxidized in a room temperature environment, it is generally recommended to be stored, but it does not mean that the consumption of unrefrigerated oyster sauce will cause cancer, and the two can not be confused. The original thick oyster sauce becomes thin and the flavor begins to change. It's not fresh when you first open it. The bad thing is not moldy oyster sauce. Once you notice a change in oyster sauce, it is most likely caused by an increase in harmful microorganisms. Therefore, it is recommended not to eat it whether it is moldy or not.
Daily purchase of oyster sauce is best to choose a big brand, in the regular supermarket to buy. Before purchasing, look at the shelf life of oyster sauce. It is best to choose the production date close to the present, which indicates that the oyster sauce is relatively fresh. You can also pay attention to the oyster sauce ingredients list, the higher the content of oyster sauce, oyster sauce quality is better, if the oyster sauce is not in the ingredients list of the first one or two, indicating that the oyster sauce content is very low, it is generally not recommended to buy. Therefore, the claim that "oyster sauce causes cancer" is not credible. It is necessary to pay attention to the storage of oyster sauce and daily consumption methods, so as not to consume improperly, bring a threat to their own health.