WHO urges to stop using rice cookers, toxic and cancerous? CCTV experiment tells you the answer

"The WHO calls for stopping the use of rice cookers. If you use them regularly, you will get liver cancer. Throw them away if you are still using them at home!" Some time ago, a similar statement has been circulating on the Internet, saying that rice cookers are the "catalyst" of liver cancer.

Xiaojiu also received a lot of private messages in the background, asking about the authenticity of this statement.

Because almost every family has a rice cooker, especially for those who love to eat rice, they can't do without a rice cooker. Is this statement a scientific basis or a rumor? Xiao Jiu will explain it to everyone today.

1. After the inner pot of the rice cooker is heated, will it release carcinogenic substances?

The basis for the claim that "rice cookers cause cancer" actually comes from the fact that most of the inner liner coatings of rice cookers are Teflon , and Teflon may precipitate toxic substances when heated to a certain temperature... What is the truth?

According to Zhang Zhaoming, deputy chief engineer of the Living Appliance Testing Center of China Household Electrical Appliances Research Institute, the rice cooker is mainly composed of two parts: the outer shell and the inner pot.

There are many materials for making inner liner, such as aluminum liner, alloy liner, stainless steel liner, ceramic liner, glass liner, etc. Among them, aluminum liner + coating is the preferred material . Since the aluminum liner cannot be in direct contact with food, this material is usually coated.

The main component of this coating is Teflon . Teflon is a polymer obtained by polymerizing tetrafluoroethylene as a monomer. It has the characteristics of heat resistance, cold resistance, acid resistance, alkali resistance, and strong stability, and is hardly eroded by any substances.

Although Teflon has a "plastic" label, it is not toxic unless some unscrupulous merchants add a processing aid called PFOA (perfluorooctanoate) during the production process, which has a certain carcinogenic risk.

However, PFOA has long been banned in China. The Teflon products that everyone buys in regular shopping malls and meet national safety standards are safe, so there is no need to worry too much.

So when Teflon is heated, will it really decompose toxic substances? Let's take a look at a CCTV experiment.

The researchers used a small tool to scrape a small amount of coating from the non-stick pan, then transferred it to a small container, put it into a thermogravimetric analyzer, and measured it after one hour of heating. It was found that when the temperature reached 300 ℃, Teflon Start breaking down .

In this regard, Professor Xiong Jinping of Beijing University of Chemical Technology said that when the temperature reaches the decomposition temperature of Teflon, Teflon will decompose into different products. The higher the temperature, the stronger the toxicity.

Source: CCTV

The maximum temperature of the rice cooker in daily use is generally about 103 °C , so there is no risk of cancer when using the rice cooker normally.

2. The coating on the inner pot of the rice cooker has fallen off, how long can it last?

In daily life, many families may experience the coating of the rice cooker falling off, but because the cooking function is normal, many people may continue to use it. However, this situation may bring health risks.

If it is found that the black coating of the inner liner has fallen off, then there will be a clear silver-white area in the inner liner, which indicates that the coating has fallen off very seriously.

The biggest role of the coating is to prevent the food from contacting the aluminum liner. If it falls off in a large area, it will increase the risk of contact between the food and the liner. Long-term use may cause the human body's aluminum intake to exceed the standard and cause bodily harm .

In addition, when using a rice cooker, pay attention to the following two points, otherwise the service life of the rice cooker may be shortened:

1. Pay attention when using

Avoid using a metal spatula, use a wooden spatula or a heat-resistant silicone spatula. Do not cook hard-shell dishes such as crayfish, bones, and crabs in a rice cooker.

2. Pay attention when cleaning

Do not use steel balls, the inner pot of the rice cooker does not need to be cleaned vigorously, a sponge or soft cloth + neutral detergent is enough. In addition, do not directly rinse the hot pot with cold water , as the alternating hot and cold will easily accelerate the peeling of the coating.

3. Teach you 3 tricks to pick out a "good" rice cooker

It is generally recommended to replace the rice cooker every 3-5 years. When buying a rice cooker, in addition to considering the price, you should also pay attention to these 3 points:

1. Look at the needs

The bigger the rice cooker is, the better. If it is a family of three, buying a medium-sized one is enough. For office workers, or those with children at home, you can also buy one with an appointment function. For people who often do not have a good grasp of the firmness of rice, they can choose rice cookers with different cooking functions.

2. Look at the appearance

When buying a rice cooker, you should look at the "face value", touch the paint film with your hand, check whether it is tough, whether it has fallen off, and whether the various accessories of the rice cooker are in good condition, whether there are cracks, blisters, etc. Whether the pot is tight.

3. Check the aluminum heat conducting sheet

When buying an ordinary rice cooker, you can press the aluminum heat-conducting sheet to check whether the heat-conducting sheet can move freely and elastically without any feeling of being stuck.

Finally, it is recommended that when purchasing on-site, it is best to let the salesperson power on and try it out to see if the indicator light turns on immediately, and there should be no flickering phenomenon. If the rice cooker is purchased online, it should be opened for trial as soon as possible after signing for it.

Choosing the right rice cooker and using some tricks will make the rice more fragrant.

Xiaojiu suggested that you can wash the rice 3 to 4 times, soak it in water for about 30 minutes, and then press the cooking button. After cooking, do not turn on the rice cooker immediately, and simmer for about 10 minutes. The rice will be softer, glutinous and sweeter.

References:

[1] "[Note] If this happens to the rice cooker, don't use it! May cause health risks...". Yuewei Platform. 2022-04-08

[2] "Scary! Does regular use of rice cooker cause cancer? If this happens, throw it away...". Popular Science China. 2021-12-22

[3] "Exclusive Investigation: Is Dong Mingzhu's Rice Cooker Really Good?" Life Times. 2016-03-15

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