Does adding poppy shells really make food more delicious? How harmful are poppy shells?

About 30 years ago, there was a legend about "adding poppy shells to food". At that time, I was still in elementary school. If a snack from a restaurant was particularly delicious and irresistible, classmates would secretly spread rumors that poppy shells were added to the food.

This legend was not long popular before it was confirmed, because a report on a certain snack bar added poppy shells to food was indeed revealed on TV. Since then, such reports have always appeared from time to time, and even today, we can still occasionally see news about a mobile stall owner adding poppy shells to cold dishes. Can food really become more delicious if poppy shells are added?

What is a poppy shell? I'm sure everyone knows this. Isn't poppy a drug?

Indeed, opium poppy is one of the main raw materials for making drugs. It is a herbaceous plant belonging to the Papaveraceae family and is distributed in Asia and the Mediterranean coastal areas of Europe. Opium poppy is an ancient crop, but it became known to the world only after it became the main raw material for opium. When the poppy fruit matures, many tiny particles will be born inside it, and these particles are the main raw materials for making opium. There is a dry shell inside the poppy fruit. Most of these shells are flat discs, brown in color, and smooth on the surface.

Are there any addictive substances in poppy shells?

The poppy shell does contain a variety of alkaloids, such as morphine, codeine, and morphic acid. Morphine itself has a strong analgesic effect and is also the main component of opium. Generally speaking, the content of morphine in opium is about 10%, and the diacetate of morphine is the heroin we often hear about. Morphine is highly addictive. Once ingested for a long time, it will cause dependence on both the physiological and psychological levels, and the harm is very difficult and huge. Codeine is also a substance with analgesic effects. Compared with morphine, the effect is weaker. It is mainly effective for mild and moderate pain. In addition to analgesia, it also has a good sedative effect, so it can be used to relieve cough and anesthesia.

Of course, determining whether a substance is harmful depends not only on its main ingredients but also on the dosage.

There are indeed a variety of alkaloids in poppy shells, but the content is very low. However, this does not mean that there is no harm, because the harm caused by it is cumulative. If you eat this kind of food with poppy shells for a long time, it will also become addictive. Once addicted, the frequency of consumption will increase further, thus forming a vicious circle. Although the content and purity of the drug components in poppy shells are low, they can also make people feel a slight pleasure, and after the pleasure, a series of side effects will follow.

Long-term intake of trace amounts of drugs will gradually make people tired and sleepy. If you don't stop at this time, the problem will become more serious.

Gradually, you will find that your mind becomes duller and duller, your consciousness becomes more and more blurred, and even your emotions are very prone to fluctuations. In terms of physiology, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and constipation are the most common discomfort reactions. In short, long-term consumption of food with poppy shells added can damage the digestive system and nervous system.

Because adding poppy husks to food can cause great harm, my country explicitly included "poppy husks" in the "List of Non-Food Substances and Food Additives That May Be Illegally Added to Food" published in 2009.

If someone secretly adds poppy shells to food, then according to the laws of our country, they will be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of less than 5 years and a fine. If the act of adding poppy shells causes serious harm to the health of others or the circumstances are particularly serious, they will be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of more than 5 years but less than 10 years and a fine. So whether for your own freedom, for the health of others, or for the conscience of being a human being, you should not add poppy shells and other harmful food additives to food.