In daily life, there are seven essentials for opening the door: firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, and tea. However, with the recent revelation from the vice chairman of the Shanxi Vinegar Industry Association that 95% of Shanxi aged vinegar on the market is blended vinegar with most containing preservatives, many consumers are now worrying about how to select truly safe brewed vinegar.
When purchasing, be sure to check the "Brewed" label
The "blended vinegar" incident has prompted many consumers to re-examine the vinegar bottles in their homes.
Fan Zhihong, an associate professor in the Department of Nutrition and Food Safety at the College of Food Science and Engineering at China Agricultural University, pointed out that according to China's food standards GB18187 and GB2719, commercially available vinegar is generally divided into two categories: brewed vinegar and blended vinegar (prepared vinegar). Brewed vinegar is made from raw materials such as grains, bran, and beans through a fermentation process. Blended vinegar is a condiment made by mixing brewed vinegar with diluted edible acetic acid. Some white vinegar products are also divided into brewed and prepared types; the former is fermented from edible alcohol, while the latter is prepared by adding water, sugar, and flavorings to edible glacial acetic acid.
She noted that brewed vinegar has higher nutritional value because one of its main ingredients is bran, which is rich in various B vitamins and minerals. Grains and even beans like peas are also added, so pure brewed vinegar contains not only acetic acid but also soluble sugars, amino acids, calcium, iron, zinc, and multiple B vitamins, in addition to acetic acid.
She also pointed out that adding a small amount of edible acetic acid to brewed vinegar to make blended vinegar is not toxic to the human body. However, acetic acid itself has no nutritional value, so pure blended vinegar has almost no nutritional value, and the nutritional value of some blended vinegars will be reduced.
Experts point out that when consumers buy vinegar, they must carefully check the label. Vinegar from regular manufacturers will indicate on the label whether the production method is brewed vinegar or prepared vinegar. Vinegar produced by traditional brewing processes will usually be labeled with words like "traditional process," "brewed product," or "meticulously brewed" on the packaging.
Sodium benzoate shall not exceed 1.0g/kg
The other major point of controversy in the "blended vinegar" incident is whether it contains the preservative sodium benzoate. Many consumers are worried about buying vinegar containing sodium benzoate, fearing it is bad for their health.
On August 10th, reporters at Jingkelun Supermarket saw many customers selecting vinegar at the condiment counter. Most customers didn't just pick one up and leave; they carefully examined the labels on the vinegar bottles before deciding to buy.
Ms. Li, who was selecting vinegar, told reporters that in the past, she mainly looked at the brand and price when buying vinegar. Now, after seeing the reports, she realizes that true brewed vinegar does not need to add preservatives, and several bottles of vinegar she uses at home contain added sodium benzoate. "Now I have to check the labels carefully. Besides looking for 'brewed vinegar' or 'prepared vinegar,' I also have to see if sodium benzoite preservative has been added to the vinegar."
However, on August 8th, the Shanxi Vinegar Industry Association issued a statement stating that authentic Shanxi aged vinegar is purely brewed from grain and fermented for two to three months, with no blending of vinegar essence. According to national standards, the addition of the preservative sodium benzoate is permitted in vinegar, but it shall not exceed 1.0g/kg, and it must be clearly indicated on the trademark label. Citizens need not overly worry about Shanxi aged vinegar containing "sodium benzoate."
Shake to distinguish good vinegar from bad
Although current technical methods make it difficult to detect whether the acetic acid added to vinegar produced by companies is food-grade glacial acetic acid or industrial-grade, and it is also difficult to detect the true proportion of brewed vinegar in prepared vinegar, experts point out that there are still some methods to distinguish good vinegar from bad.
Generally speaking, vinegar produced by regular manufacturers has complete packaging, a QS mark, ISO9000 quality certification, and HACCP food safety system certification. In addition, pay attention to the color of the vinegar to see if it is clear and bright and whether there are any fine sediments. Vinegar blended with glacial acetic acid is clear in color but has no fine sediments. Vinegar fermented from starches and sugars, being rich in nutrients, will have a thin layer of sediment at the bottom of the bottle.
The shaking method is the simplest and most effective. High-quality vinegar will have a layer of fine foam on top that lasts for a relatively long time. Inferior vinegar will have large bubbles that disappear quickly. Furthermore, high-quality vinegar smells sour and fragrant, while inferior vinegar has a pungent smell. When tasted, vinegar fermented from starches and sugars is sour but not astringent, fragrant and slightly sweet, while vinegar blended with glacial acetic acid has a more astringent taste.
In addition, you can check the product standard number. If it is marked as GB18187, it is a national standard brewed vinegar. The production cost of high-quality brewed vinegar is much higher than that of prepared vinegar, so do not be tempted by a cheap price when purchasing vinegar.