Clipping Board » Illness Enters through Mouth ─ The information that has been made public is often just the tip of the iceberg...
Lecture Notes Magazine - Jiang Shoushan, December 2, 2013
*Eating Safely!* - Published by New Naturalism
The following foods not only pose high risks but also cannot be distinguished by appearance. Additionally, it’s difficult to find safe options, so it’s best to avoid them to prevent unknowingly consuming toxins.
1. **Peanut Powder**
**Hazard Factor: Aflatoxin**
Aflatoxin, also known as aflatoxin B1, is often produced by *Aspergillus flavus* and other molds in spoiled grains (or peanuts). It is a potent liver carcinogen, second only to hepatitis B in terms of liver cancer risk. Moreover, aflatoxin has no safe threshold—no matter how low the concentration, it is harmful to humans.
Commercially sold peanut powder frequently contains aflatoxin, with a failure rate as high as 80%. It’s impossible to tell whether peanut powder (or other peanut-based products) has gone moldy just by appearance or taste (black spots on peanuts indicate mold growth and possible aflatoxin contamination). The same applies to processed products like peanut butter and peanut candy. Unless you grind the peanuts yourself or buy freshly ground peanut powder where the original form is visible, it’s best to avoid it altogether.
2. **Beans and Pod Vegetables**
**Hazard Factor: Pesticides**
Beans and pod vegetables are the most hazardous among all vegetables. Because they are harvested continuously, pesticide residues often exceed safe limits. Except for hairy soybeans (edamame), the failure rate for pesticide detection in other pod vegetables consistently reaches 80% annually, ranking them first or second in the top ten pesticide-contaminated fruits and vegetables over the past three years. These vegetables also contain multiple pesticide residues, averaging five to eight types per sample. They are arguably the riskiest vegetables—avoid them if possible.
3. **Large Fish (Shark, Swordfish, Bigeye Tuna, etc.)**
**Hazard Factor: Mercury (Methylmercury)**
Microorganisms convert mercury in water into methylmercury, which enters the marine food chain. Due to bioaccumulation, methylmercury increases by a factor of 1,000 in predators and continues to cycle. Thus, large fish at the top of the food chain—such as shark, swordfish, and bigeye tuna—contain the highest levels.
Methylmercury is a severe neurotoxin that attacks the central nervous system, causing brain damage. Its half-life in the human body is as long as 45 years, meaning the body struggles to metabolize it. Despite doctors frequently warning against consuming these fish in the media, they remain among the most commonly eaten seafood in Taiwan, with sales remaining high year after year. Hence, I feel the need to reiterate this warning.
Additionally, when discussing mercury in tuna, people often ask: *"Dr. Jiang, does that mean I shouldn’t eat canned tuna often?"* Actually, canned tuna is less concerning because the mercury-contaminated fish are the large tuna at the top of the food chain, whereas canned tuna mostly uses smaller, cheaper tuna, which is relatively safer. However, the oil in canned tuna isn’t fish oil but salad oil, which is unhealthy in excess. Still, it’s best not to consume it frequently.
4. **Bubble Tea (Pearl Milk Tea)**
**Hazard Factor: Sugar, Toxic Starch (Maleic Acid, Benzoic Acid, Preservatives)**
Bubble tea, a must-try for tourists in Taiwan, is also a risky food. The "pearls" (tapioca balls) were traditionally made from sweet potato or cassava starch. However, to enhance chewiness and shelf life, most commercial pearls now contain additives like benzoic acid, sorbic acid, preservatives, and—as recently exposed—chemically modified starch (maleic acid). This is why bubble tea has repeatedly appeared in food safety scandals, from the plasticizer crisis years ago to the recent toxic starch incident.
The "milk" in bubble tea isn’t real milk but non-dairy creamer made from flavorings and starch. Besides containing high levels of trans fats, the sugar content is alarmingly high.Easterners have always been more prone to diabetes than Westerners. Diabetes not only consistently ranks among Taiwan's top ten causes of death but is also one of the top three factors leading to dialysis. A single cup of bubble tea contains the equivalent of 17 sugar cubes, while draining an adult's blood can only extract one sugar cube's worth—its harm to the human body should not be underestimated. Additionally, issues like excessive pesticide residues in tea leaves and bacterial contamination in ice must be considered. In other words, every component of bubble tea carries significant risks.
5. Whitebait
Hazard factors: Bleaching agents, excessive salt
To cater to consumer preferences, most whitebait in Taiwan is bleached. To increase weight, large amounts of salt are also added, making it overly salty and high in sodium, placing a heavy burden on the body. For children, consuming whitebait in just one meal can exceed their daily sodium intake. This not only fosters a preference for salty flavors but also poses lifelong health risks.
Beyond these issues, previous inspections of whitebait have even detected excessive heavy metals. Given its widespread consumption, high failure rate in quality checks, and the impact of these substandard products on children, I have included it in the list of top ten hazardous foods.
6. Raw Vegetable Salad
Hazard factors: Pesticides, parasites
It’s important to note that raw vegetable salads, a common modern diet, are actually high-risk ingredients. The proportion of pesticide residues in Taiwanese vegetables is very high. Some pesticides can be broken down or volatilized through cooking, reducing their levels. However, eating them raw means ingesting all these pesticides.
Would switching to organic vegetables help? There are still risks. While organic vegetables have fewer pesticide residues, they may carry more parasites, so the risk remains significant. Additionally, salad dressing is another major issue. Made from raw egg yolks, salad oil, and salt, it can easily breed bacteria (such as E. coli) if stored at room temperature. When dining at Western restaurants, I always request that the salad vegetables be cooked, as the risks of eating raw greens are too high to ignore.
7. Pork Kidneys
Hazard factors: Ractopamine, kidney lesions
Pigs in Taiwan are often fed swill, and the soybeans and feed they consume are frequently moldy, leading to widespread kidney lesions. Statistics show that 70% of pigs in Taiwan have chronic kidney disease upon slaughter. Furthermore, ractopamine and fat-soluble toxins tend to accumulate in the kidneys. Unless tests confirm the pigs were raised without drugs or swill, it’s best to avoid eating pork kidneys.
8. Pineapple Shrimp Balls
Hazard factors: Borax
The shrimp in pineapple shrimp balls are often large and crispy, making them irresistible. However, this "crispy" texture may not be natural, as most restaurants soak their shrimp in the illegal food additive—borax.
Borax enhances food toughness, crispness, and moisture retention, which is why it was once widely used in processed foods like fish balls, rice cakes, fried dough sticks, and alkaline rice dumplings. However, it was later discovered that borax converts to boric acid in the stomach, accumulating in the body over time and damaging the central nervous and digestive systems. Excessive intake can even be fatal (around 20 grams for adults and 5 grams for children), leading to its ban. Yet, much like carbon monoxide treatment, although prohibited by law, it remains in use as long as it goes undetected. To avoid borax, we must take matters into our own hands and reject unnaturally "good textures."9. Small Octopus
Hazard Factor: Chemical Soaking
Small octopus, commonly seen at Taiwanese banquets, has curly tentacles that resemble blooming flowers, making it quite adorable. However, it is also a risky food. Under normal circumstances, the tentacles of small octopuses do not curl up during cooking. To achieve the "blooming" effect, they must be soaked in chemicals—a malpractice deeply rooted in Taiwan's seafood industry. To this day, I have yet to find small octopus that hasn’t been treated with such chemicals.
10. Coffee Powder
Hazard Factor: Ochratoxin
Coffee lovers may not realize that many coffee powders are made from moldy beans. Whether domestic or international brands, the pursuit of high KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) drives their operations, inevitably leading to cost-cutting and profit-maximizing practices. While drinking coffee can benefit the liver, consuming contaminated coffee powder has the opposite effect. Moldy coffee beans contain ochratoxin, which is not only nephrotoxic but also carcinogenic. Therefore, if you want to enjoy coffee safely, it’s best to buy whole beans and grind them yourself to ensure quality and safety.
Source: http:/ / tw. news. yahoo. com/ % E8……C% A6% E5% 9B% 8A- 051117360. html
Top 10 Dangerous Foods in Taiwan: A Nephrologist's Survival Guide
*Eating Safely!* - Published by New Naturalism
The following foods not only pose high risks but also cannot be distinguished by appearance. Additionally, it’s difficult to find safe options, so it’s best to avoid them to prevent unknowingly consuming toxins.
1. **Peanut Powder**
**Hazard Factor: Aflatoxin**
Aflatoxin, also known as aflatoxin B1, is often produced by *Aspergillus flavus* and other molds in spoiled grains (or peanuts). It is a potent liver carcinogen, second only to hepatitis B in terms of liver cancer risk. Moreover, aflatoxin has no safe threshold—no matter how low the concentration, it is harmful to humans.
Commercially sold peanut powder frequently contains aflatoxin, with a failure rate as high as 80%. It’s impossible to tell whether peanut powder (or other peanut-based products) has gone moldy just by appearance or taste (black spots on peanuts indicate mold growth and possible aflatoxin contamination). The same applies to processed products like peanut butter and peanut candy. Unless you grind the peanuts yourself or buy freshly ground peanut powder where the original form is visible, it’s best to avoid it altogether.
2. **Beans and Pod Vegetables**
**Hazard Factor: Pesticides**
Beans and pod vegetables are the most hazardous among all vegetables. Because they are harvested continuously, pesticide residues often exceed safe limits. Except for hairy soybeans (edamame), the failure rate for pesticide detection in other pod vegetables consistently reaches 80% annually, ranking them first or second in the top ten pesticide-contaminated fruits and vegetables over the past three years. These vegetables also contain multiple pesticide residues, averaging five to eight types per sample. They are arguably the riskiest vegetables—avoid them if possible.
3. **Large Fish (Shark, Swordfish, Bigeye Tuna, etc.)**
**Hazard Factor: Mercury (Methylmercury)**
Microorganisms convert mercury in water into methylmercury, which enters the marine food chain. Due to bioaccumulation, methylmercury increases by a factor of 1,000 in predators and continues to cycle. Thus, large fish at the top of the food chain—such as shark, swordfish, and bigeye tuna—contain the highest levels.
Methylmercury is a severe neurotoxin that attacks the central nervous system, causing brain damage. Its half-life in the human body is as long as 45 years, meaning the body struggles to metabolize it. Despite doctors frequently warning against consuming these fish in the media, they remain among the most commonly eaten seafood in Taiwan, with sales remaining high year after year. Hence, I feel the need to reiterate this warning.
Additionally, when discussing mercury in tuna, people often ask: *"Dr. Jiang, does that mean I shouldn’t eat canned tuna often?"* Actually, canned tuna is less concerning because the mercury-contaminated fish are the large tuna at the top of the food chain, whereas canned tuna mostly uses smaller, cheaper tuna, which is relatively safer. However, the oil in canned tuna isn’t fish oil but salad oil, which is unhealthy in excess. Still, it’s best not to consume it frequently.
4. **Bubble Tea (Pearl Milk Tea)**
**Hazard Factor: Sugar, Toxic Starch (Maleic Acid, Benzoic Acid, Preservatives)**
Bubble tea, a must-try for tourists in Taiwan, is also a risky food. The "pearls" (tapioca balls) were traditionally made from sweet potato or cassava starch. However, to enhance chewiness and shelf life, most commercial pearls now contain additives like benzoic acid, sorbic acid, preservatives, and—as recently exposed—chemically modified starch (maleic acid). This is why bubble tea has repeatedly appeared in food safety scandals, from the plasticizer crisis years ago to the recent toxic starch incident.
The "milk" in bubble tea isn’t real milk but non-dairy creamer made from flavorings and starch. Besides containing high levels of trans fats, the sugar content is alarmingly high.Easterners have always been more prone to diabetes than Westerners. Diabetes not only consistently ranks among Taiwan's top ten causes of death but is also one of the top three factors leading to dialysis. A single cup of bubble tea contains the equivalent of 17 sugar cubes, while draining an adult's blood can only extract one sugar cube's worth—its harm to the human body should not be underestimated. Additionally, issues like excessive pesticide residues in tea leaves and bacterial contamination in ice must be considered. In other words, every component of bubble tea carries significant risks.
5. Whitebait
Hazard factors: Bleaching agents, excessive salt
To cater to consumer preferences, most whitebait in Taiwan is bleached. To increase weight, large amounts of salt are also added, making it overly salty and high in sodium, placing a heavy burden on the body. For children, consuming whitebait in just one meal can exceed their daily sodium intake. This not only fosters a preference for salty flavors but also poses lifelong health risks.
Beyond these issues, previous inspections of whitebait have even detected excessive heavy metals. Given its widespread consumption, high failure rate in quality checks, and the impact of these substandard products on children, I have included it in the list of top ten hazardous foods.
6. Raw Vegetable Salad
Hazard factors: Pesticides, parasites
It’s important to note that raw vegetable salads, a common modern diet, are actually high-risk ingredients. The proportion of pesticide residues in Taiwanese vegetables is very high. Some pesticides can be broken down or volatilized through cooking, reducing their levels. However, eating them raw means ingesting all these pesticides.
Would switching to organic vegetables help? There are still risks. While organic vegetables have fewer pesticide residues, they may carry more parasites, so the risk remains significant. Additionally, salad dressing is another major issue. Made from raw egg yolks, salad oil, and salt, it can easily breed bacteria (such as E. coli) if stored at room temperature. When dining at Western restaurants, I always request that the salad vegetables be cooked, as the risks of eating raw greens are too high to ignore.
7. Pork Kidneys
Hazard factors: Ractopamine, kidney lesions
Pigs in Taiwan are often fed swill, and the soybeans and feed they consume are frequently moldy, leading to widespread kidney lesions. Statistics show that 70% of pigs in Taiwan have chronic kidney disease upon slaughter. Furthermore, ractopamine and fat-soluble toxins tend to accumulate in the kidneys. Unless tests confirm the pigs were raised without drugs or swill, it’s best to avoid eating pork kidneys.
8. Pineapple Shrimp Balls
Hazard factors: Borax
The shrimp in pineapple shrimp balls are often large and crispy, making them irresistible. However, this "crispy" texture may not be natural, as most restaurants soak their shrimp in the illegal food additive—borax.
Borax enhances food toughness, crispness, and moisture retention, which is why it was once widely used in processed foods like fish balls, rice cakes, fried dough sticks, and alkaline rice dumplings. However, it was later discovered that borax converts to boric acid in the stomach, accumulating in the body over time and damaging the central nervous and digestive systems. Excessive intake can even be fatal (around 20 grams for adults and 5 grams for children), leading to its ban. Yet, much like carbon monoxide treatment, although prohibited by law, it remains in use as long as it goes undetected. To avoid borax, we must take matters into our own hands and reject unnaturally "good textures."9. Small Octopus
Hazard Factor: Chemical Soaking
Small octopus, commonly seen at Taiwanese banquets, has curly tentacles that resemble blooming flowers, making it quite adorable. However, it is also a risky food. Under normal circumstances, the tentacles of small octopuses do not curl up during cooking. To achieve the "blooming" effect, they must be soaked in chemicals—a malpractice deeply rooted in Taiwan's seafood industry. To this day, I have yet to find small octopus that hasn’t been treated with such chemicals.
10. Coffee Powder
Hazard Factor: Ochratoxin
Coffee lovers may not realize that many coffee powders are made from moldy beans. Whether domestic or international brands, the pursuit of high KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) drives their operations, inevitably leading to cost-cutting and profit-maximizing practices. While drinking coffee can benefit the liver, consuming contaminated coffee powder has the opposite effect. Moldy coffee beans contain ochratoxin, which is not only nephrotoxic but also carcinogenic. Therefore, if you want to enjoy coffee safely, it’s best to buy whole beans and grind them yourself to ensure quality and safety.
Source: http:/ / tw. news. yahoo. com/ % E8……C% A6% E5% 9B% 8A- 051117360. html