Are nuts bleached with "sulfur dioxide"? What should we pay attention to when eating nuts during the Chinese New Year?

During the Spring Festival, there will be a kind of food on your coffee table; it looks crystal clear and tastes delicious, this is "nuts". Pay attention to this kind of "Internet celebrity snacks". A TV station has conducted relevant tests on nuts before, and finally found that some of them have the problem of "containing sulfur dioxide". With such a problem, can we still eat nuts with confidence? Let's talk about nuts at the end of the year and teach you the "healthy rules for buying and eating nuts" during the Spring Festival.

Does using "sulfur dioxide" in nuts really cause cancer?

After the TV station tested several popular online nuts, it was found that some samples contained trace amounts of sulfur dioxide. When this problem occurred, many people believed that "nuts contain bleaching substances, which are harmful to the body if ingested." However, this is a misunderstanding and needs to be viewed scientifically.

The addition of "sulfur dioxide" itself is a legal act. It is clearly stipulated in the national standard "National Food Safety Standard Food Additives Usage Standard" GB 2760-2014 that sulfur dioxide can be added as an "antioxidant, bleaching agent, and preservative."

Please note that sulfur dioxide itself is a legal "food additive" rather than an "illegal additive"; sulfur dioxide mainly plays a bleaching and sterilization (preservation) role in food processing. Especially in the processing of dried fruits, seasoning powders, dried vegetables and other foods, sulfur dioxide treatment is a more important "preservation measure."

Sulfur dioxide itself has a certain reducing property, which can bleach some pigments. It can also inhibit the oxidative browning of polyphenols, thus playing a good role in protecting color. Just like adding sulfur dioxide to wine, it is mainly to prevent the polyphenols in the wine from oxidizing and causing the color to darken, affecting the flavor of the wine.

Basically, in addition to sulfur dioxide itself, the main compounds used in food processing and production are compounds that can produce sulfur dioxide, such as sodium sulfite, potassium sulfite, sodium metabisulfite and other substances; adding these substances to food can release sulfur dioxide.

According to the national standard, these compounds that can release sulfur dioxide can be added to 25 types of food, including nuts, dried fruits and vegetables, flour, fruit wine, and fruit juice.

In addition to these compounds that can release sulfur dioxide, sulfur is sometimes used to fumigate some foods, such as mushrooms, dried fruits and other foods; sulfur produces sulfur dioxide during the combustion process, which also has a similar effect.

Of course, it is worth noting that, whether adding compounds that can produce sulfur dioxide or using sulfur fumigation, when measuring the sulfur dioxide standard, we do not measure its "addition amount", but its "residual amount" for judgment. In other words, even if a lot of (sulfur dioxide) is added during the production and processing, as long as most of it is converted into other substances during the processing, so that the sulfur dioxide residual amount is qualified, this is also a reasonable behavior.

Is it really safe to have sulfur dioxide in food?

Since the amount of sulfur dioxide added is proportional to the effect, many unscrupulous vendors always "add excessive amounts", resulting in a large number of comments on the Internet saying that sulfur dioxide is toxic and pathogenic.

The Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) has established a relatively strict intake standard for sulfur dioxide, and its safe intake limit is 0.7 mg per kilogram of body weight per day; for example, for an adult weighing 60 kg, the daily intake should not exceed 42 mg. In other words, even if you consume sulfur dioxide every day, as long as it does not exceed the limit, it will not harm your body; what's more, how can you guarantee that you will eat more sulfur dioxide every day. In addition, the small amount of sulfur dioxide and its derivatives in food will generally be metabolized by the body into sulfate and excreted in the urine after entering the human body, and it is not as serious as you think (accumulation, toxicity).

Having said that, it is legal to add sulfur dioxide to certain foods. As long as the national standard limit is not exceeded during the production and processing process, it will not affect your health. It is recommended that you buy food produced by regular, large and reliable manufacturers. The food they produce is more strictly inspected and generally does not exceed the standard. The sulfur dioxide residue will not be excessive, and eating it will not pose a threat to your body.

Buy nuts carefully and get "safety":

Look for the right place to buy nuts with a higher safety factor:

Relatively speaking, the larger and more famous the manufacturer, the less likely the nuts it produces and sells will have quality defects. To buy nuts, please go to regular supermarkets or qualified large-scale farmers' markets; in this way, even if there are quality problems with the nuts, we can better protect our rights and claim compensation, with a higher safety factor.

Choose "Original Nuts" and reject threats:

"Flavored nuts" such as five-spice nuts, salt and pepper nuts, and matcha-flavored nuts are mostly high in salt and sugar, and can be said to be "heavy-flavored nuts". Frequent intake of such nuts will increase the body's risk of chronic diseases such as hypertension and dyslipidemia. In addition, some unscrupulous merchants even add various seasonings to "cover up" moldy and spoiled nuts. The heavier the flavor of the nuts, the greater the possibility of mold and spoilage. Therefore, it is recommended that you buy "original nuts".

When buying nuts, it is recommended not to choose "fried" or "over-roasted" products; these types of nuts will lose some of their nutrients, and will also produce harmful substances due to excessive high-temperature cooking.

"Closed-mouth nuts" are safer:

You will see a variety of "open nuts" in supermarkets. These nuts are more likely to be attached with dust, impurities and other harmful substances under certain circumstances. In addition, nuts are rich in fat, and open nuts are more likely to be exposed to air and oxidized and rancid. When buying nuts, please prefer "closed nuts".

When buying bagged nuts, the closer the date (to the time of purchase), the better:

When buying "bagged nuts", please pay attention and identify the date. The closer the product is to your purchase time, the smaller the safety risk and the lower the chance of mold and spoilage, so you should prefer it.

Eat nuts rationally and healthier:

Nuts are high in fat and calories, so they must be consumed in limited quantities:

Although nuts are good, they are high in fat. Regular large intakes can easily make you fat. The Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2016 edition) recommends that people consume 25-35 grams of soy and nuts every day, and recommends an average weekly intake of 50-75 grams of nuts. Specifically, a small handful (about 10 grams) of nuts per day is enough.

Basically, if you eat walnuts, 2-3 is enough; if you eat peanuts, no more than 10; if you prefer almonds, no more than 8 (regular size).

In addition, it is worth noting that people with diabetes, gout and those who are losing weight can also eat nuts in moderation; nuts as a food contain more dietary fiber, and are lower in purine and starch. Although they have a high fat content, they can control blood sugar well and enhance satiety after consumption, making them suitable for these special groups of people.

There are many ways to eat nuts, and you don’t have to stick to “eating them dry”;

In addition to eating nuts directly, it is recommended that you add them to dishes; you can add some nuts to porridge, you can add some nuts to pastries, and you can add a small amount of nuts to salads, milkshakes and other foods (drinks); while adding deliciousness, it can also "enhance nutrition", which is indeed a good choice.

The most noteworthy thing is nuts. Please buy them in small quantities and eat them right before buying. Do not store them in large quantities.

Nuts are a must-have food (snack) for the Chinese New Year. "Sulfur dioxide" is not as scary as you think. Choose nuts reliably and "taste" nuts healthily; refuse to choose blindly or eat too much. Eat nuts happily and celebrate the Chinese New Year happily.