Can't eat frozen buns? Will it produce aflatoxin if it is stored in the refrigerator for more than 3 days? After reading the long knowledge
Mantou is one of the traditional Chinese pasta. It is a food steamed from fermented noodles and is the main pasta in northern China. It is indispensable for three meals a day. The taste is soft and glutinous, easy to digest, and popular with people.
Since ancient times, steamed buns have played an important role in all staple foods. With the improvement of living standards, the types and patterns of steamed buns have gradually increased, but they are all fermented and steamed from wheat flour.
Nowadays, every household has a refrigerator, and endless food is stored in the refrigerator to extend the shelf life. For most office workers, usually time-crunched, they will buy a lot of steamed buns and put them in the refrigerator to save the time of cooking every day.
There are many families in the north who like to steam their own steamed buns. Most people steam a lot of steamed buns at a time and store them in the refrigerator for easy consumption.
Aflatoxins will be produced when steamed bread is placed in the refrigerator for more than three days. This statement is widely circulated online. any scientific evidence? Today, let's take a look.
What is aflatoxin?
Aspergillus toxin (AFT) is a chemically similar compound, a derivative of dihydrofuranocoumarin, a secondary metabolite produced by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus.
The harm of aflatoxin to human health is mainly caused by the consumption of food contaminated with aflatoxin. Aflatoxins are commonly found in whole foods in grains, legumes, and tree nuts (corn, peanuts, rice, soybeans, rice, etc.).
How harmful is aflatoxin to the human body?
- Dangerous to the liver.
Aflatoxin mainly harms the liver organs, reduces immunity, and is carcinogenic and mutagenic.
According to survey data, hepatitis B virus carriers and hepatitis B patients are more likely to develop liver cancer under aflatoxin infection.
Aflatoxins are common in many foods and are highly toxic. Long-term food intake increases the risk of liver cancer.
- Poisoning of the body.
In medicine, aflatoxin is a highly toxic substance, 68 times more toxic than arsenic, second only to botulinum toxin.
Ingestion of aflatoxin in the body will induce poisoning, which is divided into two types: acute poisoning and chronic poisoning. Excessive intake of aflatoxin can lead to symptoms such as bile duct hyperplasia, acute hepatitis, and hemorrhagic necrosis.
Long-term intake of a small amount of aflatoxin can lead to chronic poisoning, which can easily lead to degeneration of liver cells, accompanied by adverse symptoms such as weight loss, slow growth, and infertility.
Can you eat frozen steamed buns? Will aflatoxins be produced in the refrigerator for more than three days?
First of all, the growth temperature of aflatoxin is in the range of 12-42 degrees Celsius, and the most suitable temperature is around 33 degrees Celsius. The higher the temperature, the faster the growth of Aspergillus flavus.
In this regard, the temperature in the refrigerator is not suitable for the growth and reproduction of aflatoxins at all, therefore, aflatoxins will not be produced in the refrigerator.
There is no scientific basis for the claim that steamed buns produce aflatoxins after being stored in the refrigerator for three days. Long-term storage will only lead to the loss of moisture in the steamed bread, affecting its taste and texture.
Even if frozen steamed bread does not produce aflatoxin, it is recommended not to eat it during storage time, which may breed other bacteria and affect the health of the gastrointestinal tract.
How to avoid the harm of aflatoxin?
▲ Careful cleaning
Most of the aflatoxins are present on the surface of Zi Li, so when cooking peanuts, corn, rice and other foods, it is necessary to wash and scrub to remove the toxins attached to the surface.
Since under alkaline conditions, aflatoxins can be converted into water-soluble substances.
▲ Eat more fresh vegetables.
You can eat more fresh green leafy vegetables in life, because the chlorophyll in fresh vegetables can inhibit the absorption of aflatoxin by the human body and greatly reduce the risk of aflatoxin poisoning.
▲ Throw away moldy food.
Moldy food is prone to produce aflatoxin. When food is placed in mold, it must be thrown away. Do not use it, otherwise it will cause harm to the body.
Reminder: The toxicity of aflatoxin should not be underestimated. Among many carcinogens, aflatoxin is classified as a first-class carcinogen. Therefore, it is suggested that we should be especially careful and pay more attention to the choice of food!