"Red Heart" Sugarcane is Sweeter? Don't Eat Foods with These Conditions →

Will steamed buns that are frozen for more than two days grow aflatoxin?

Recently, this news has attracted widespread attention

How should pasta be stored correctly?

Look down, Ke Ke will show you

What is aflatoxin?

How are aflatoxins produced?

Aflatoxin is a metabolite of Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus, and is one of the most toxic and carcinogenic fungal toxins discovered to date.

Usually, aflatoxin will be produced only when the temperature and humidity of food reach certain conditions. Frozen or refrigerated environments are not suitable for the growth of aflatoxin.

Li Wei, Vice Dean of the School of Food Science and Technology at Nanjing Agricultural University: The frozen environment is not suitable for the growth and metabolism of Aspergillus flavus, or the production of toxins. If aflatoxin is to be produced, several conditions must be met. First, there must be a relatively suitable temperature. Usually, the suitable temperature for mold is 15℃~35℃. In addition, the growth of mold requires a relatively high humidity, generally 80%~90%.

It is understood that the freezing temperature of a general household refrigerator is minus 18 degrees Celsius, and the humidity is relatively low, which does not meet the conditions for aflatoxin to produce toxins. In fact, aflatoxin itself is not toxic, but the aflatoxin it produces is toxic.

At present, about 20 types of aflatoxins and their derivatives have been discovered, among which aflatoxin B1 is the most common, and its toxicity is about 68 times that of arsenic.

It is worth mentioning that aflatoxin is resistant to high temperatures, and its decomposition temperature is 280°C. Therefore, the temperature of daily cooking (100°C~200°C) can't do anything to it, and don't expect boiling water or cooking with oil to kill it.

Aflatoxin likes to hide in these places

Moldy grains. These include grains with high starch content such as rice, millet, corn, and beans.

Moldy peanuts and nuts. Peanuts and nuts are rich in oil, and aflatoxin is soluble in oil, so they are easily infected by Aspergillus flavus.

Wooden chopping boards and wooden chopsticks. The gaps between chopping boards and chopsticks are prone to food residues. If they are not cleaned properly after use, or are placed in a damp and dark corner for a long time, they are prone to mold.

How to prevent mycin risks in life?

How to store pasta correctly?

Experts say that Aspergillus flavus has some favorite hosts, especially corn and peanuts. After the mold grows toxins, the hyphae or toxins in the base will penetrate deep into the food. Therefore, sometimes it is impossible to observe the depth of hyphae penetration from the color.

Generally speaking, if you taste a strange smell in grains or peanuts, you should not only spit it out, but also rinse your mouth with plenty of water. The bitter taste we taste is closely related to the production of some toxins or bad substances.

How should fresh steamed buns or pasta be properly stored if they are not finished? Li Wei said that they should be frozen for long-term storage and eaten within three months. If placed in a refrigerated environment, you can first wrap it with plastic wrap and then put it in a fresh-keeping bag. It is best not to touch it with your hands or the surrounding environment too much before putting it away.

Beware! Beware of invisible toxic "mold"

Hidden in these foods

In addition to nuts and grains, some foods that are not properly stored can easily produce "invisible" carcinogenic toxins.

Experts warn that ginger can easily go moldy if left for too long, increasing the risk of cancer. Safrole in rotten ginger is a carcinogen and has been classified as a Class 2B carcinogen by the World Health Organization.

Can you still eat ginger if you cut off the bad parts? The answer is no. Even if you cut off the bad parts, there may still be mycotoxins in places that are not visible to the naked eye.

In life, some people often think that sugarcane will become sweeter if the inside turns red. In fact, the "red heart" or "black heart" of sugarcane is due to mold contamination.

Sugarcane has a high sugar content and sufficient water content. Although the skin is hard, there are often cuts when harvesting, exposing the flesh, which is easily affected by the storage and transportation environment and is at risk of being contaminated by mold.

Among them, Arthrosporum is a dangerous "killer". This mold produces a highly toxic toxin, 3-nitropropionic acid, during its growth and reproduction. Remind everyone, do not eat "red heart" sugarcane!