Exposed! Seized overnight! I ate countless bags of instant noodles and it turned out to be "pig pickled cabbage"!

Are you familiar with this vegetable bun?

To be honest with you:

It might have been stepped on by feet!

The annual 315 anti-counterfeiting event is always "captivating". At this year's 315 party, the thing that made everyone sick the most was the "earth pit pickled cabbage"!

At present, #Master Kong confirms that Chaqi Caiye is a supplier# and has immediately suspended its supplier qualification, cancelled all cooperation, sealed its sauerkraut bun products, and cooperated with the investigation.

You know, "Master Kang Laotan Pickled Cabbage Beef Noodles" is really delicious, the taste...

"No wonder I got ulcers in my mouth after eating noodles, it turns out I have athlete's foot"

"No wonder it tastes like stinky feet!"

Regarding the issue of "earth pit pickled cabbage", I think it is really bad! It will leave a psychological shadow on many people, and they don't even want to eat pickled cabbage. In this article, we will talk about "earth pit pickled cabbage" and the nutrition of real fermented pickled cabbage, and finally teach you how to pickle pickled cabbage yourself.

1. What’s the story behind “earth pit pickled cabbage”?

The protagonist of this incident is the "earth pit pickled cabbage" produced by Hunan Chaqi Vegetable Industry Co., Ltd. The company itself has standardized pickled cabbage fermentation tanks and production processes, but it exports the good pickled cabbage abroad and sells the disgusting "earth pit pickled cabbage" domestically.

Isn't it said that Chinese people don't cheat Chinese people? I am not "Sister Li"!

What kind of thing is “earth pit sauerkraut”?

The unwashed and unselected mustard greens are thrown directly into the dug pits. The withered and yellow leaves are not removed. Salt and water are sprinkled on them, wrapped in film, and covered with soil for pickling. Some workers wear slippers, some step on the pickled sauerkraut barefoot, and even throw cigarette butts into the sauerkraut.

▲Photo: Workers stepping on pickled cabbage barefoot

▲Photo: Cigarette butts thrown on sauerkraut

The environment is so dirty and messy! These pickled vegetables are directly packaged and sold without going through strict cleaning and testing procedures. There is no so-called traditional fermentation process at all!

2. What are the potential hazards of “earth pit pickled cabbage”?

First, the sanitary conditions are too poor, and there may be uncertain pathogens; secondly, there is the problem of nitrite in sauerkraut. Not only is the quality of the raw materials poor, but there is also a lack of strict testing procedures, and it is difficult to say what the nitrite content is.

Nitrite itself is not carcinogenic, but nitrite may form carcinogens such as nitrosamines in the stomach. Nitrosamines are carcinogenic. Excessive intake of nitrite will bring some safety risks.

Furthermore, in order to extend the shelf life of "earth pit sauerkraut", unscrupulous merchants claim to add excessive amounts of preservatives, generally 2 to 10 times the limit.

3. Does “real” sauerkraut contain high levels of nitrite?

Although the nitrite in "earth pit sauerkraut" is a potential hazard, there is no need to worry too much about this for sauerkraut that has a formal production process and is pickled by yourself.

During the fermentation process of sauerkraut, lactic acid bacteria will be produced. Lactic acid bacteria can use reducing sugars, soluble proteins, etc. in the fermentation matrix to form various flavor components, the main flavor substances of which are sulfur-containing compounds.

Lactic acid bacteria can lower the pH in the substrate, effectively inhibit the growth of other microorganisms, and degrade nitrite in sauerkraut. [1]

During the 0-15 days of fermentation, the nitrite content of sauerkraut will increase significantly. During the 20-30 days of fermentation, the nitrite content will drop rapidly, and will continue to drop during the 30-40 days, eventually maintaining at around 3 mg/kg. [1]

This amount is far lower than the requirement in my country's "GB 2762-2017 Limits of Contaminants in Food": the nitrite content in pickled vegetables cannot exceed 20 mg/kg.

Therefore, for "proper" fermented sauerkraut, you don't have to worry about nitrite! Sauerkraut is edible after 30 days of fermentation, and is best eaten after 35 days.

4. What nutrients does fermented sauerkraut have?

Many people may think that the nutrients of cabbage or mustard will be destroyed after fermentation, but in fact this is not the case.

Fermented sauerkraut not only retains the original nutrients of vegetables such as vitamin C, amino acids, and dietary fiber, but also contains functional microorganisms such as lactic acid bacteria. [2]

It not only supplements nutrition, but also is beneficial to intestinal health. It is a nice vegetable!

5. How to make homemade “Northeast fermented sauerkraut”?

Many friends feel that the sauerkraut they buy is not hygienic, and after watching this year's 315 Gala, they no longer buy it. If you want to make it yourself but don't know how to do it, it's actually not difficult to make your own sauerkraut.

How to make traditional Northeastern pickled cabbage: [3]

1. Wash the vegetables: Choose Chinese cabbage that is not rotten or diseased, remove the roots and outer old leaves, and wash them clean.

2. Drying: Choose a sunny day to spread out the clothes to dry. Cover them with a layer of plastic film at night to keep out the cold. Turn them over once a day and dry them for about half a month.

3. Raw pickling: Put the dried bottom of the cabbage into the pot and cook for 2-3 minutes. Then put the cabbage head into the pot and cook for 1-2 minutes. When the leaves turn green, take them out and put them in a basin to cool thoroughly.

4. Put into the jar: Choose a jar of suitable size, clean it, place the cabbage with the roots facing outwards and the hearts facing inwards, and sprinkle salt on each layer.

5. Add water: After putting the cabbage into the tank, leave it empty for two days and then add drinking water to submerge it.

6. Fermentation: Ferment at 2~8℃ for 35 days before consumption.

However, this kind of homemade pickled cabbage is often salty, so don’t eat too much at one time~

Summary: Friends who like to eat sauerkraut can make it themselves if they have the energy; if you buy sauerkraut, you must choose a trustworthy large manufacturer and pay attention to the production date.

Northeastern pickled cabbage is really delicious. The more you eat it, the more addictive it becomes. My favorite dishes are pickled cabbage stewed with bones and pickled cabbage dumplings. How about you?

References:

[1] Ma Huanhuan, Lü Xinran, Lin Yang, et al. Synchronous analysis of lactic acid bacteria and nutrients during natural fermentation of traditional Northeastern pickled cabbage[J]. Food and Fermentation Industries, 2017, 43(2)

:79-84.DOI:10.13995/j.cnki.11-1802/ts.201702014.

[2] Zhang Yulong, Hu Ping, Zhan Jianlong, Chen Yun. Research and progress of fermented sauerkraut[J]. Journal of Food Safety and Quality, 2014, 5(12)

:3998-4003.DOI:10.19812/j.cnki.jfsq11-5956/ts.2014.12.043.

[3] Wang Jinxin, Guo Hua, Diao Quanping et al. Study on the pickling process of traditional Northeastern pickled cabbage and the law of nitrite formation[J]. Shandong Chemical Industry, 2017, 46(16): 3-4.