As the Chinese saying goes, "Food is the first necessity of the people." In the modern diet, besides three daily meals, snacks have also become an indispensable delicacy for leisure time. A survey by the National Institute for Nutrition and Food Safety of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention shows that over 60% of children and adolescents aged 3-17 in China eat snacks daily; most adults also rely on snacks when chatting, watching TV, or relaxing. Although snacks are delicious, they also hide many potential dangers, and can even unknowingly become terrifying killers of health.
In recent years, cases of substandard snacks harming children's health have frequently been reported in the news: In 2007, four primary school students in Lehong Village, Zhaotong City, Yunnan Province, died from poisoning after eating fried instant noodles. In March 2009, a sixth-grade student at Xiwang Primary School in Wuhu County, Chaohu City, Anhui Province, died from poisoning after eating a snack called "Dadaorou." In September 2009, three students from Shuangcheng No. 7 Primary School in Harbin City developed symptoms of vomiting and convulsions after eating a snack called "Lanzhou Xiaolaojuan." Shanghai media also reported that local children suffered from kidney failure due to consuming snacks with excessive additives.
Among substandard foods, 70% are snacks
Zhang Man (a pseudonym), 28, works near the Guomao area in Chaoyang District, Beijing. Her desk drawer is filled with all kinds of snacks, and her bag is stuffed with a few small bags. Zhang Man told reporters that some of these snacks are bought from supermarkets, and some are ordered online with colleagues and friends. "Almost everyone in our office keeps snacks. Spicy dried meat, savory dried tofu, potato chips, and sweet preserved fruits are all very popular. Some people buy a lot at once and even take them home for their children to eat."
The "snack tribe" in life is mostly children and young and middle-aged women. When buying snacks, they usually consider whether they are tasty first, but rarely pay attention to quality and hygiene issues. In this regard, Jiang Weibo, a professor at the College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering at China Agricultural University, said that his research team once analyzed and statistically examined the food samples tested by the Beijing Food Safety Office from January to July 2008. The results showed that among more than 150 batches of food with unqualified safety indicators, nearly 70% were snacks.
Statistics on the food inspection results of the Beijing Administration for Industry and Commerce from October 2009 to January 2010 found that snacks were on the "blacklist" of unqualified foods announced almost every week. These mainly included various preserved plums, apricot flesh, dried sweet potatoes, dried pineapple, melon seeds, beef jerky, shredded squid, seaweed, and flavored sausages.
Coconut Milk Dragon Fruit Ice Bar
Snacks hide five major hazards
Why do snacks account for such a large proportion of substandard foods? Jiang Weibo believes there are three main reasons. First, the variety of snacks on the market is vast. To pursue taste and appearance, it is easy to have problems with excessive or illegal additives. Second, the snack industry covers a very wide range, from factory processing to small street workshops, which means some sectors lack production standards. When relevant departments formulate regulatory standards, it is impossible to include all hazardous factors in routine testing indicators, leading to a large number of harmful snacks on the market. Third, consumers focus too much on the taste of snacks and have a low safety awareness, which also provides a market demand for substandard snacks.
The harmful ingredients and excessive additives in substandard snacks can cause certain harm to the human body. Through statistical analysis of inspection data, we have identified the five most common snack hazards. Reporters interviewed Chen Xiafei, chief dietitian of the Department of Nutrition at Huadong Hospital in Shanghai; Fan Zhihong, associate professor at the College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering at China Agricultural University; and Fu Jinru, chairman of the Tianjin Nutrition Society, and asked experts to analyze their dangers.
Excessive pigments. Some food manufacturers use excessive artificial synthetic pigments to make snacks look good, such as in puffed foods and candies. However, the risk of artificial synthetic pigments to the human body is higher than that of natural pigments. If consumers consume foods with excessive pigment content for a long time or in large quantities at once, it may cause symptoms such as diarrhea, which is particularly harmful to the healthy development of children. Natural pigments are safe but expensive, so many companies are reluctant to use them.
Excessive preservatives. Food preservatives are natural or chemically synthesized substances added to food to ensure preservation during transportation and storage. Such as benzoic acid, potassium sorbate, and nitrites, excessive intake can inhibit bone growth to a certain extent and harm the health of the kidneys and liver.
Excessive saccharin. To increase sweetness, excessive saccharin may be added to foods such as preserved fruits, ice cream, pastries, and biscuits, causing gastrointestinal discomfort and liver metabolism problems. Saccharin sodium can also form cyclohexylamine, which is carcinogenic, after hydrolysis.
High salt, high sugar. Snacks such as preserved plums and dried tofu contain large amounts of salt or sugar, which increases the burden on the kidneys and poses a threat to the cardiovascular system. In European and American markets, foods labeled "sugar-free" or "salt-free" are more popular.
Large amounts of trans fatty acids. The ingredient lists of most cakes, ice creams, and cookies on the market contain "vegetable cream" and "vegetable butter," which contain large amounts of trans fatty acids. Excessive intake can damage the intelligence of children and adolescents, harm the heart, and lead to infertility.
Pumpkin Ball
Smart Snacking
Although snacks have potential hazards, it doesn't mean they can't be eaten. Yang Yuexin, director of the Food Chemistry Office of the Institute of Nutrition and Food Safety of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and chairman of the Nutrition and Health Food Branch of the Chinese Nutrition Society, gave advice on how to enjoy snacks healthily.
Yang Yuexin said that foods that can be used as snacks can be divided into 10 categories: candy, meat, seafood and eggs, grains, beans and bean products, vegetables and fruits, milk and dairy products, nuts, potatoes, and beverages and cold drinks. Each category of snacks can be divided into 3 recommended levels, and people can choose what to eat and how much according to their level.
Can be eaten frequently: Refers to foods or beverages rich in nutrients, and mostly low in fat, salt, and sugar. Such as fresh fruits, including cucumbers and tomatoes that can be eaten raw; some untreated nuts, such as peanuts, pine nuts, and pistachios.
Should be eaten in moderation: Foods or beverages with relatively rich nutrients, but containing or adding moderate amounts of fat, sugar, salt, etc., such as beef jerky and dark chocolate.
Not recommended: Foods or beverages containing or adding large amounts of fat, sugar, salt, providing a lot of energy. Frequent consumption of such snacks increases the risk of overweight and obesity, hypertension, and other chronic diseases, such as high-sugar preserved fruits and fried foods.
Cumin Spicy and Savory Dried Tofu