Can rice and steamed bread in the refrigerator cause cancer? Reminder: Don't put 3 kinds of food in the refrigerator at will
27-year-old Xiaoxi suffered from stomach pains for nearly a month , and immediately went to the local hospital for treatment.
According to Xiaoxi's symptoms, the doctor preliminarily judged that it was chronic gastritis or duodenal ulcer, and then through color Doppler ultrasound and blood tests, it showed that there were multiple space-occupiers in the liver , and the carcinoembryonic antigen CEA far exceeded the normal value . Tumor with liver metastases .
In the end, under the strong suggestion of the doctor, Xiaoxi accepted the painless gastroscopy that terrified her. The image showed that the gastric cancer was already in the advanced stage, and it was a highly malignant gastric signet ring cell carcinoma.
The doctor learned through further consultations that Xiaoxi’s refrigerator was always piled with some food that was on sale in the supermarket , and usually because of busy work, Xiaoxi could not finish the food in time, and the food was always stored for several days. I will not be willing to waste it and eat it . In addition , I did not eat on time, and I like to stay up late... It is these bad habits that induce stomach cancer.
1. A refrigerator is not a safe
The refrigerator is the most common household appliance in the home. Its fresh-keeping function is deeply loved by housewives. However, everything will be fine if you buy things and put them in the refrigerator.
The temperature of the refrigerator freezer is generally between 0°C and 4°C, which has the limitation that it cannot solve the problem of mold reproduction, and many foods will become moldy after being stored for a long time.
And some bacteria that survive at low temperatures can also reproduce at this temperature . Representative food-borne pathogenic microorganisms in the refrigerator mainly include:
1. Listeria monocytogenes
The full name of Listeria monocytogenes is Listeria monocytogenes. Commonly contaminated foods include aquatic products, meat and meat products, milk and milk products, etc., and can survive at 0°C-45°C.
Listeria monocytogenes mainly causes intestinal infection, usually with an incubation period of 8-48 hours, manifested as nausea and vomiting, fever, muscle aches, etc., and can also invade the nervous system and circulatory system, with an incubation period of 2-12 weeks, which can cause severe Sepsis and meningitis, although the incidence rate is low, the fatality rate is high.
2. Salmonella
Salmonella often resides in the body of humans and animals. It mainly contaminates food including eggs and egg products, meat and meat products, milk and milk products, etc., and is not resistant to high temperatures.
The more common symptom of Salmonella infection is gastroenteritis, manifested as abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea. The incubation period is 12-36 hours, and the course of disease is 2-3 days . Severe infection can cause dehydration and shock, and some patients may even develop sepsis .
3. Yersinia
The main food contaminated by Yersinia is raw pork . Infection with Yersinia may cause acute gastroenteritis, enterocolitis, and severe appendicitis and sepsis.
4. Shigella
Shigella is also known as Shigella, and its main contaminated food is fruit . After infection, it can cause intestinal infection, manifested as symptoms such as abdominal pain, fever, and watery stool.
2. Putting rice and steamed bread in the refrigerator is likely to cause cancer?
There is an article on the Internet saying, "Food in the refrigerator is easy to cause cancer", pointing out that rice should not be put in the refrigerator, because the low-temperature environment of the refrigerator will cause rice to become moldy, and the aflatoxin produced can cause liver cancer and esophageal cancer. Does putting rice in the refrigerator really cause cancer?
In fact, putting rice in the refrigerator is more conducive to preservation , because the low temperature environment is conducive to reducing the activity of enzymes, which can inhibit the respiration of rice and reduce the production of free fatty acids, which in turn helps to inhibit the oxidation of fatty acids in rice.
And below 20 ℃, the mold will be greatly reduced, and it will stop its activities below 10 ℃, so the environment of the refrigerator can inhibit the reproduction of harmful substances in rice.
However, when storing, it needs to be sealed and packaged to avoid moisture absorption due to its easy absorption .
In addition, there are rumors that the raw material of steamed buns is flour, and steamed buns are easily contaminated with aflatoxin after being frozen for a long time, and eating them can also cause cancer. So, can steamed buns really not be stored in the refrigerator?
Aspergillus flavus is produced by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. We can briefly analyze the environmental conditions required for the production of aflatoxin:
• The growth temperature of Aspergillus flavus is 12°C-42°C, and the optimum temperature is 33°C;
• Aspergillus flavus also has temperature requirements for toxin production, generally at 24°C-28°C;
• The minimum relative humidity to adapt to is 78%RH, and the optimum humidity is 93%-98%RH;
•Aflatoxin contamination occurs most often in humid and high humidity environments;
Now let’s look at the freezer compartment of the refrigerator. Its temperature is about -18°C, the highest humidity will not exceed 75% RH, and the average humidity is about 50% RH. This humidity and temperature are not suitable for the growth of Aspergillus flavus .
In addition, under freezing conditions, the life activities of microorganisms will slow down or even suspend, and basically they will not continue to produce mycin. Freezing in the refrigerator is better for long-term storage than room temperature storage.
Therefore, as long as the steamed buns are not contaminated before being frozen in the refrigerator, and the refrigerator is clean, it is unlikely that the steamed buns will breed Aspergillus flavus and cause cancer.
3. These 3 types of food are not recommended to be stored in the refrigerator
Although the freezing and refrigerating functions of the refrigerator can help keep food fresh, there are still three kinds of food that are not recommended to be stored in the refrigerator.
• Chinese herbal medicines
Chinese herbal medicines are dry. If they are stored in the refrigerator, they may be damp and deteriorate, affecting the properties of the medicine , and may even cause side effects.
Ma Guansheng, vice chairman of the Chinese Nutrition Society, reminded that for more valuable Chinese medicinal materials, such as ginseng and velvet antler, it is recommended to put them in a clean glass bottle, put an appropriate amount of glutinous rice that has been fried on a slow fire and let it cool, and seal the bottle cap tightly. Then put it in a cool and ventilated place.
•Honey
Honey is mainly sugar and has high osmotic pressure. It is difficult for microorganisms to survive in this environment. Generally, it can be stored for a long time at room temperature.
However, if the honey is stored in the refrigerator, the honey may actually be damp and crystallize to precipitate glucose. Although the safety and nutritional value will not be affected, the taste of the honey will be greatly reduced.
• Dried food after opening
Dry packaged foods such as tea, coffee powder, and milk powder have almost no moisture, and bacteria can hardly survive in this state, so they can be stored at room temperature without a refrigerator.
However, if it is stored in the refrigerator without proper sealing measures, the moisture in the refrigerator will infiltrate, causing odors to appear, and there may be mold.
Food also has a "shelf life" in the refrigerator, so how long can different foods be stored in the refrigerator?
In this regard, "Life Times" has cooperated with Professor Zhao Lichao of the School of Food Science and Technology of South China Agricultural University, Associate Professor Fan Zhihong of the School of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering of China Agricultural University, and Xia Pengbin, the chief nutritionist of the Clinical Nutrition Department of Zhongda Hospital Affiliated to Southeast University, to integrate this food refrigerator. schedule.
Preferably, in order to reduce the risk, it is also necessary to pay attention to the principles of refrigerator storage .
First of all, it should be noted that the food is best wrapped in a fresh-keeping box or plastic wrap, so that it can be packaged independently , especially raw food and cooked food.
Secondly, don't put too many things in the refrigerator, it's better to be 70% full , which is conducive to the circulation of air in the refrigerator.
Then, pay attention to the hygiene of the refrigerator , it is best to clean it once a month, especially the blood and stains from raw meat must be cleaned.
Finally, the food stored in the refrigerator must be eaten in time. If it has not been eaten within 3-5 days, it is best to throw it away.
In the eyes of many people, the refrigerator still seems to be a "safety box". But the refrigerator can only prolong the shelf life of food, it can't kill or suppress all bacteria. The food that is usually put in the refrigerator should be eaten as soon as possible. Don't rely on the refrigerator to store too much food.
References:
[1] "Come, check out the "little hidden dangers" in the refrigerator [Happy New Year]". China Disease Control Trends. 2022-01-16
[2] "Scared Stupid! These three foods are poisonous and carcinogenic in the refrigerator? It's not too late to see now". Popular Science China. 2019-05-22
[3] "These 5 kinds of food, don't put them in the refrigerator at will! A picture to understand, the best storage time for food ~ ". I am a great doctor. 2019-08-21
[4] "[Cousin Favorites] Refrigerator is not a "safe", a table summarizing the best storage time of food". Life Times. 2019-08-30
[5] "Can't Bread and Fruit be Stored in the Refrigerator? 6 kinds of food that should not be kept in the refrigerator, the first one you always put! ". Xiaowei Health. 2020-07-27
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