New Year's table defense: those "danger signals" about food

The New Year's joy permeated every corner, and the house was filled with all kinds of New Year's goods, overflowing with warmth and joy. However, at this happy moment for the whole family, Xiaowen and his parents had a heated argument over mold spots on the food.

That day, Xiaowen's mother took out a piece of rice cake from the kitchen as usual, but when she looked closely, she saw some mold spots on it. Xiaowen immediately became alert and said hurriedly: "Mom, this rice cake is moldy, it can't be eaten!" Xiaowen's mother responded calmly and nonchalantly: "It's just a few mold spots. Cut off the mold spots, and the rest must be good. It's the New Year, and things are precious. It's a waste to throw them away." Xiaowen's father also chimed in: "Your mother is right. When conditions were not good before, if things had a little problem, we couldn't bear to throw them away. We treated them and continued to eat them, and there was no problem."

Xiaowen quickly presented the facts and reasoned, "Mom and Dad, this won't do! Once food grows mold, the situation is far more serious than what we see. Mold has extremely fine hyphae, which are like countless small hands that will quickly penetrate into the food. Even if we scrape off the mold spots on the surface, the mycotoxins that are invisible to the naked eye may have already spread in the food. Take the notorious aflatoxin, for example. It is extremely toxic and a clear carcinogen. Even if a very small amount enters the human body, it may cause serious damage to the liver. Long-term intake greatly increases the risk of liver cancer. We celebrate the New Year in peace and happiness. If we damage our bodies by eating this kind of moldy food, not only will we have to go to the hospital and suffer, but it will also ruin our good mood for the New Year. It's not worth it." After hearing what Xiaowen said, Xiaowen's parents showed hesitation on their faces, but still felt it was a pity to throw it away directly.

Xiaowen continued to persuade, "Now that living conditions are better, we don't lack food. Health is the most important thing. We buy so many delicious foods for the New Year so that our family can be healthy and enjoy them happily. There is no need to take risks for this moldy food." After some earnest persuasion, Xiaowen's parents were finally convinced and agreed to throw away the rice cake.

At this point, Xiaowen must give you a good popular science, whether food with a rotten black spot can be eaten. In fact, similar to moldy food, when food is partially rotten, even if it is just a small black spot, it is a hidden danger, so it is best not to eat it. Take fruit as an example. Fruit is rich in water and sugar, and is an ideal culture medium for microorganisms. Once a small area is rotten, mold, bacteria and other microorganisms will use the rich nutrients inside the fruit to reproduce and spread at an alarming rate. Although from the outside, only the rotten part may have obvious changes, in fact, the entire fruit may have been contaminated by microorganisms and the toxins they produce, but other places have not shown obvious signs of rot. The same is true for vegetables. The cell structure of vegetables is relatively fragile, and the rotten part will quickly become a breeding ground for bacteria and mold. These harmful microorganisms will produce various enzymes and toxins during their growth, destroying the nutritional content of vegetables, changing their taste and texture, and easily causing gastrointestinal discomfort after eating, such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea and other symptoms. It would be even more dangerous if the meat is partially spoiled. Meat is rich in protein and fat. The spoilage process will produce a large number of pathogenic microorganisms, such as Salmonella and Staphylococcus aureus. It will also decompose and produce harmful substances such as histamine and cadaverine. Eating it may cause serious food poisoning or even life-threatening.

What should you do if you accidentally ingest these spoiled foods? If you have just eaten a small amount and have not experienced any obvious discomfort, you can drink plenty of water to promote metabolism and help the body excrete harmful substances as soon as possible. At the same time, closely observe your physical condition. If you experience symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea, you should stop eating immediately and seek medical attention as soon as possible. When you seek medical attention, you should describe the type of food you ingested, the time of your intake, and the symptoms you experienced in your body in detail to the doctor so that the doctor can accurately judge your condition and take effective treatment measures.

The Chinese New Year is a happy time for family reunion. While enjoying delicious food, we must always put food safety first. Don't let those seemingly insignificant food hazards ruin the beautiful atmosphere of the Chinese New Year and the health of your family. Let us spend every happy holiday safely and healthily!