"Food Safety Guide" Series | In which foods are aflatoxin likely to "hide"? Learn more in one article

Aflatoxin is the most common mold in warm regions and warm seasons. Its suitable growth temperature is between 4-50℃, and the optimal growth temperature is 25-40℃. Generally speaking, conventional pasteurization or the temperature of baking bread is not enough to completely inactivate aflatoxin, and aflatoxin is also resistant to ultraviolet rays.

In which foods is aflatoxin likely to "hide" in our daily life?

1. Moldy peanuts and corn

Aflatoxin is often hidden in moldy foods, especially foods with high starch content, such as peanuts and corn. Starch in a high temperature and humid environment will breed aflatoxin, which causes liver cancer. The rice, millet, and beans we often eat, especially in a hot and humid environment, will also fall into its clutches once they become moldy.

Recommendation: Food should be dried first, and then stored in a dry and ventilated place. Buy in small quantities and do not store too much, so as to effectively avoid mold. Since aflatoxin spreads in the form of spores, food is easily implicated in mold. If you find that a peanut has gone bad, it is difficult for peanuts and corn stored in the same container to avoid it.

2. Oil pressed by illegal workshops

Peanuts are one of the crops that are easily contaminated by aflatoxin. In peanut oil workshops, it is difficult to filter out moldy peanuts during the production process. In addition, the oil press is not cleaned for a long time, which will cause the peanut oil to contain excessive aflatoxin. The presses or household oil presses in some small workshops are simple in technology, lack the technology to remove harmful substances, and cannot refine the raw materials.

Recommendation: When purchasing grain and oil products, be sure to choose products from regular manufacturers. If the packaging is damaged, do not buy it. Also, avoid storing too much grain and oil at home to prevent mold.

3. Long-soaked black fungus

Generally, fungus can be soaked in cold water for about 3 hours, and it can basically be soaked. The longer it is soaked, the more bacteria it will breed. Moreover, if fungus is soaked in water for a long time, it is very easy to breed the carcinogen aflatoxin, thereby producing toxins. Therefore, soak only as much as you can eat, and do not soak fungus for several days.

Recommendation: Do not soak the black fungus for too long, and eat it on the same day.

4. Spoiled rice

Aflatoxin in rice is mainly distributed on the surface of rice grains. Don’t think you can relax your vigilance after it is cooked. Spoiled rice is most likely to breed Aspergillus fusiformis and produce aflatoxin.

Recommendation: Washing rice by hand three or four times can remove 80% of aflatoxin. It is best to eat it on the same day without leaving any leftovers.

5. Bitter Nuts

If you eat bitter melon seeds, walnuts, pistachios, etc., be sure to spit them out and rinse your mouth immediately, because the bitter taste of nuts comes from aflatoxin produced during the moldy process, and regular intake will increase the risk of liver cancer.

Recommendation: If you eat moldy or bitter nuts, don't be lazy, spit them out immediately and rinse your mouth in time

6. Make your own fermented foods

Many families like to make their own pickled sauces, such as fermented bean curd, yellow paste, etc. However, if not handled properly, it is easy to breed aflatoxin.

Recommendation: Do not eat homemade fermented foods. You can choose to purchase such foods from regular manufacturers and eat them as soon as possible after opening. If mold appears, do not continue to eat them.

7. Dairy products

Aflatoxin first appears in grain. If the moldy grain becomes feed and is eaten by animals, part of the toxin will be stored in the animal's body, while the rest will be converted into milk or urine. The general conversion rate is 3.45% to 11.39%.

Recommendation: When purchasing dairy products, you should also choose a regular place. After purchase, pay attention to the storage conditions at home and consume them as soon as possible within the validity period.

8. Seasoning

Condiments such as dried chili peppers, dried fennel, star anise, etc., once they become moldy, aflatoxin will also appear.

Recommendation: Do not buy too much condiments at one time and store them in a ventilated and dry place.

9. Unwashed chopsticks and cutting boards

Normally, aflatoxin will not grow on chopping boards and chopsticks. Most of the chopsticks and chopping boards at home are made of wood. If the wood is soaked in water for a long time and not dried, it is easy to breed bacteria, especially aflatoxin.

Suggestions: First, keep the kitchen utensils and utensils clean and dry to prevent the growth of aflatoxin. Secondly, replace the traditional wooden chopsticks with iron (metal) chopsticks, and replace the chopping board with a stainless steel or plastic chopping board that is not easy to hide dirt. Develop the habit of using separate chopping boards for raw and cooked vegetables.

(This article was scientifically reviewed by Li Suyun, deputy director of nutrition at the Cancer Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and doctor of nutrition medicine.)