However, with the high incidence of cancer, many people began to "fear" bacon, saying that it would cause cancer. What is the truth?
Whether bacon can cause cancer depends on two aspects.
First of all, bacon does contain carcinogens, mainly nitrite and benzopyrene.
Bacon will produce nitrite in the curing process, which is a food additive licensed by various countries, which can keep the meat bright red, so bacon producers will also artificially add a small amount of nitrite. Nitrite will be transformed into nitrosamines after entering the human body, which is a strong carcinogen and has a risk of causing digestive tract cancers such as gastric cancer, esophageal cancer and colorectal cancer.
Benzopyrene is usually produced in the process of high temperature smoking of bacon because of incomplete combustion of wood. Benzopyrene is also a strong carcinogen, which is found in almost all the smoke produced by combustion. Long-term inhalation or consumption has the risk of lung cancer, liver cancer and gastrointestinal cancer.
However, these two carcinogens do not cause cancer at first contact.
Small intake of nitrite is not a big problem, and nitrite will not accumulate in the body. Only one-time intake of more than 200mg of nitrite will lead to acute poisoning. There are also restrictions on the amount of nitrite added to food in China. The bacon produced by regular manufacturers according to the standard is generally relatively safe, but some manufacturers add nitrite beyond the standard, and the risk of cancer will be greatly increased if they eat this bacon for a long time.
Similarly, benzopyrene is also limited by national standards. A small amount of intake will not cause much problem, and long-term and excessive intake may cause cancer. In addition to bacon, barbecue and fried foods also contain benzopyrene, which should be eaten in moderation.
Therefore, the carcinogenicity of bacon cannot be generalized, and it is not necessary to talk about color change. The key depends on how you eat it.
Many friends like the unique flavor of bacon, but they are worried about the harm of bacon. So, you can consider some ways to kill two birds with one stone to reduce the harm of eating bacon.
Changing cooking methods can reduce the harm of nitrite in bacon.
Tang Yu, a senior national cook, said that if you find the right method, bacon can be eaten with confidence.
The first trick: clear water can effectively dilute nitrite in bacon, so the bacon can be soaked in clear water one day before eating bacon. If it is too late to soak, it can also be boiled in water before cooking, which can dissolve nitrite and make bacon healthier.
The second trick: when cooking, it is better to stir-fry, stew or steam, and stir-fry and fry will produce new harmful substances.
The third measure: it is best to cook or eat bacon with some vegetables and fruits with high vitamin C content, because vitamin C can block the combination of nitrite and amines and reduce the production of strong carcinogen ammonium nitrite.
Some friends don't trust the finished bacon sold in the market, and like to pickle it at home, thinking that it will be safer without food additives. Although this method is good, we should pay attention to the problem of preserved meat, otherwise the preserved meat will be more harmful after deterioration.
If the homemade bacon is intended to be eaten within two or three weeks, and the indoor temperature is lower than 20℃ and the humidity is lower than 60%, it can be hung in a ventilated and sunless place without being put in the refrigerator. If the temperature and humidity are not suitable, it should be put into the insulation layer of the refrigerator, which can be stored for 3~4 months at about 4℃. If the bacon is planned to be eaten for half a year, it should be placed in the frozen layer of the refrigerator, and it is best to store it in batches according to each food intake to avoid repeated thawing, so that it can be preserved for a long time, but it should be eaten as soon as possible.
In addition, the safety factor is higher when choosing regular products when buying bacon.
It is recommended that you buy bacon produced by regular manufacturers and choose products with "QS" (food safety certification) logo on the packaging.
When buying bacon, we should also pay attention to the fact that the production date is as close as possible, and the fresh bacon is dry on the surface, ruddy in muscle color, transparent or milky in fat, elastic to the touch when pressed and fragrant. On the other hand, if the bacon is dark in color, yellow in fat, dented after finger pressing, and smells sour and rancid, it is deteriorated bacon, and there may be mildew spots on the surface. This kind of bacon is extremely harmful to the body, so don't buy or eat it by all means. # Breeze Project ##39 Healthy Super Group #
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