Misconception 1: Salted vegetables, quick-pickled vegetables, soy-preserved vegetables, pickles, sauerkraut, and Korean kimchi are all the same
Although these foods are all regulated under the scope of the "GB 2714-2003 Hygiene Standard for Soy-Preserved Vegetables," their production processes and fermentation methods differ, so the risks are also different. Multiple studies have shown that because lactic acid bacteria do not have nitrate reductase, the nitrite content produced by strict pure lactic acid acid fermentation is very low. The ingredients added to pickle-making, such as fresh ginger, fresh chili, garlic, green onions, onions, and perilla, can all help reduce nitrite levels. The nitrite content in soy-preserved vegetables that need to be marinated for several months is also very low.
Only quick-pickled vegetables that are eaten after pickling for a few days, and pickles and sauerkraut that are heavily contaminated with miscellaneous bacteria and have insufficient pickling time, have the problem of promoting carcinogenesis.
Unfortunately, residents in many regions of our country like to eat a lot of quick-pickled vegetables. Many residents also like to chop up vegetables themselves, add some salt and mix them, and leave them in the refrigerator for a few days to make crispy side dishes. In fact, this is also a variant of quick-pickled vegetables and is not very safe. Many surveys have found that there is indeed a correlation between eating improperly made pickles and the high incidence of stomach and esophageal cancer, and carcinogens have also been detected in samples.
Misconception 2: Pickles that do not exceed the standard for nitrite are definitely qualified
At present, the random inspection and testing results of soy-preserved vegetable foods in our country show that the main problems with products from regular enterprises are excessive additives, such as excessive preservatives, excessive saccharin, and excessive sulfites. In order to use less salt to avoid an overly salty taste while also preventing excessive microbial growth, companies often add preservatives; to improve flavor, saccharin may be added; to make the color more attractive, sulfites may be used for bleaching, or a little pigment may be added. Compared to nitrite, these substances are much less toxic, but exceeding national standards is still an unqualified product.
It should be noted here that adding a small amount of turmeric pigment or red yeast rice pigment is harmless. They are both natural pigments and even have certain health benefits.
Misconception 3: If all indicators of soy-preserved vegetables are qualified, you can eat as much as you want without worry
No matter how high-quality soy-preserved vegetables are, they are foods containing a relatively high salt content, and their natural antioxidant components are also greatly lost, so they cannot compare to the nutritional value of fresh vegetables.
It should be explained here that soy-preserved vegetables contain dietary fiber and a certain amount of minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium. Lactic acid fermentation and acetic acid fermentation can also produce a small amount of B vitamins. Therefore, hygienically qualified soy-preserved vegetables are not completely without merit. People all over the world like to eat soy-preserved vegetables, and it's fine to eat a small amount as an appetizer, but it is not appropriate to use it as the main dish in a meal to replace fresh vegetables. Especially for chronic patients and children and adolescents, who need to eat more fresh vegetables to prevent disease or promote growth, and to develop a good dietary habit of light taste, it is not advisable to eat too many soy-preserved vegetables.
Misconception 4: Only soy-preserved vegetables may produce carcinogens, while pickled and dried seafood is fine
In fact, pickled and dried seafood products may contain nitrosamine carcinogens. Nitrite itself is only toxic, while the truly carcinogenic substances are "nitrosamines" and "nitrosamides," which are the result of the combination of nitrite and "amine substances," which are decomposition products of protein. The protein in fish and seafood is prone to degradation during transportation and storage, and their faint fishy and odorous smells are caused by amine substances. Foods such as salted fish, dried fish fillets, dried shrimp, and shredded squid often contain a certain amount of nitrosamine carcinogens. There is also a problem of bleaching, and excessive salt content, which is not good for health.
In contrast, hygienically qualified salted eggs and fermented bean curd are quite safe foods.