But with the high incidence of cancer, many people began to "fear" bacon, saying it would cause cancer. What is the truth?
Whether bacon can cause cancer depends on two aspects.
First of all, bacon does contain carcinogens, mainly nitrite and benzopyrene.
Nitrite will be produced in the curing process of bacon. Nitrite is a food additive licensed by various countries, which can keep the meat bright red, so bacon producers will also artificially add a small amount of nitrite. Nitrite will be converted into nitrosamines after entering the human body. Nitrosamines are a strong carcinogen and have the risk of causing digestive tract cancers such as gastric cancer, esophageal cancer and colorectal cancer.
Benzopyrene is usually produced during the high-temperature smoking of bacon due to incomplete combustion of wood. Benzopyrene is also a strong carcinogen, and almost all the smoke produced by combustion contains benzopyrene. There is a risk of lung cancer, liver cancer and gastrointestinal cancer if inhaled or eaten for a long time.
However, these two carcinogens will not cause cancer at the first contact.
Less intake of nitrite is not a big problem, and nitrite will not accumulate in the body. Only one-time intake of nitrite exceeding 200mg will lead to acute poisoning. There are also restrictions on the amount of nitrite added in food in China. The bacon produced by regular manufacturers according to the standard is generally relatively safe, but some manufacturers add too much nitrite, which will greatly increase the risk of cancer if they eat this bacon for a long time.
Similarly, benzopyrene is limited by national standards. A small amount of intake will not cause much problem, and long-term excessive intake may cause cancer. In addition to bacon, barbecue and fried foods also contain benzopyrene, which should be eaten in moderation.
Therefore, the carcinogenicity of bacon cannot be generalized, and there is no need to talk about color change. It depends on how you eat.
Many friends like the unique flavor of bacon, but they are worried about the harm of bacon. Therefore, you can consider some ways to kill two birds with one stone to reduce the harm of eating bacon.
Changing cooking methods can reduce the harm of nitrite in bacon.
Tang Yu, a senior national chef, said that if the right method is found, bacon can be eaten safely.
The first trick: clear water can effectively dilute nitrite in bacon, so you can soak bacon in clear water the day before eating bacon. If it is too late to soak, you can also cook it in water before cooking, which can dissolve nitrite and make bacon healthier.
The second trick: when cooking, it is best to stir-fry, stew or steam, which will produce new harmful substances.
The third measure: bacon is best cooked or eaten with some vegetables and fruits with high vitamin C content, because vitamin C can block the combination of nitrite and amines and reduce the production of strong carcinogen ammonium nitrite.
Some friends don't trust the finished bacon sold in the market, and like to pickle it at home, thinking that it will be safer without food additives. Although this method is good, we should pay attention to the problem of bacon, otherwise the harm of bacon will be even greater after deterioration.
If the homemade bacon is intended to be eaten in two or three weeks, and the indoor temperature is lower than 20℃ and the humidity is lower than 60%, it can be hung in a ventilated and dark place instead of being put in the refrigerator. If the temperature and humidity are not suitable, it should be placed in the insulation layer of the refrigerator, and it can be stored for 3~4 months at about 4℃. If the bacon is planned to be eaten for half a year, it should be placed in the frozen layer of the refrigerator. It is best to store it in batches according to each food intake to avoid repeated thawing, so that it can be preserved for a long time, but it should be eaten as soon as possible.
In addition, the safety factor is higher when buying bacon by choosing regular products.
It is recommended that you buy bacon produced by regular manufacturers and choose products with "QS" (food safety certification) logo on the packaging.
When buying bacon, we should also pay attention to the fact that the closer the production date is, the better. Fresh bacon has a dry surface, ruddy muscle color, transparent or milky fat, elastic to the touch and fragrant. On the other hand, if the bacon is dark in color, yellow in fat, sunken after finger pressing and sour in smell, it is deteriorated bacon, and there may be mildew on the surface. This kind of bacon is extremely harmful to your health. Don't buy it or eat it. # Breeze Project ##39 Health Super Group #
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