Beware! There are 4 types of "invisible alcohol" hidden in food. Be careful if you have children at home!

Everyone knows that alcohol is something that children should not touch. The safest amount of alcohol is not to drink at all, and this is especially true for children.

But did you know that alcohol is not only found in liquor, beer, and wine, but also in some foods that are considered "non-alcoholic" . Your child may have come into contact with alcohol without your knowledge.

01

Custard pie, Swiss roll

Pastries lose moisture after baking. In order to ensure that they maintain a soft texture and flavor during long-distance transportation and storage, some pastries are added with edible alcohol during processing to reduce moisture evaporation and extend the shelf life of the pastries.

Small pastries like egg yolk pies and Swiss rolls that children love to eat, which are packaged in small packages and taste moist and soft, will surprisingly contain edible alcohol if you look at the ingredient list.

The ingredient list of egg yolk pie and Swiss roll indicates that they contain edible alcohol. Image source: Screenshot of an APP

As a food additive, the amount of ethanol residue in finished products is not strictly limited. According to a news report, after an adult male ate six egg yolk pies in one go, the breathalyzer showed a data of 35mg/100ml, which is considered drunk driving.

This type of pastry generally has a high fat and sugar content, and is not a healthy snack, let alone a main meal. When occasionally giving it to children, it is best to first look at the ingredient list on the back of the package and choose alcohol-free ones.

02

Overripe or long-standing fruit

If the fruit smells or tastes like alcohol, it is actually because the fruit is overripe or has been left for too long and has naturally fermented. The microorganisms in the environment and on the fruit skin can be understood as natural yeasts, which convert the sugar in the fruit into ethanol and carbon dioxide. The higher the sugar content of the fruit, the more obvious the natural fermentation may be, such as lychees, grapes, bananas, bayberries, durian, apples, etc.

Studies have found that ripe bananas have an alcohol content of about 0.2%vol, and when they are overripe (the flesh is soft and black spots appear on the banana skin), the alcohol content is about 0.4%vol. Lychees are also a major source of alcohol through natural fermentation. According to news reports, eating two lychees can reach the standard for drunk driving (alcohol test results show 27mg/100ml). Every year, there are always several news reports of false drunk driving tests due to eating lychees.

Many people drank alcohol and let Litchi take the blame... Image source: News screenshot

Fruits may contain alcohol, but we don’t need to be afraid of them. We need to pay attention to feeding children fresh fruits as much as possible. Moreover, the nutritional value of fruits that have been stored for too long will be greatly reduced, and improper storage will also cause the risk of spoilage, so try to avoid them and don’t buy too much at one time.

03

Fermented rice, rice wine

Fermented glutinous rice, also known as fermented glutinous rice or rice wine in the north, should be the childhood breakfast of many people, along with glutinous rice balls and beaten egg flowers. Traditional concepts believe that fermented glutinous rice can also increase milk production and nourish the body, and it is a standard meal for confinement in many places.

Fermented glutinous rice and koji are fermented into rice wine. The saccharifying bacteria in the koji break down the starch in the glutinous rice into reducing sugars, and the yeast ferments the sugars into alcohol. No matter how sweet it tastes, and no matter how many nutritious eggs are added, fermented glutinous rice is essentially a low-alcohol food.

There is currently no current national standard for fermented glutinous rice, and there is no uniform limit on the alcohol content of commercially available fermented glutinous rice products. In addition, the minimum alcohol content is marked on the product packaging, and there is no way to know the exact alcohol content.

Image source: Screenshot of an APP

The type of glutinous rice, fermentation yeast, fermentation temperature and duration will affect the alcohol content. An experiment showed that after 96 hours of fermentation, the alcohol concentration of some fermented rice can be as high as 14%vol. Some families are used to making their own fermented rice, and its fermentation degree and alcohol content are even more difficult to control.

Changes in alcohol content in the mash during fermentation

Although some alcohol will evaporate after boiling, and the alcohol content will be reduced after diluting with water, low-alcohol wine is still alcohol. Drinking during pregnancy may induce fetal alcohol syndrome. If breastfeeding women drink, the alcohol will enter the breast milk through the mouth and blood, affecting the health of the baby. So don't believe the nonsense that fermented rice is nourishing and can increase milk production. Pregnant women and breastfeeding women are best not to drink it.

In addition to fermented rice wine, some other dishes cooked with wine can also be avoided, such as drunken shrimp, drunken crab, drunken chicken, beer duck, beef stewed with red wine, etc.

04

Huoxiang Zhengqi Water, Shidishui

In addition to food, some medicines also contain a lot of alcohol, such as Huoxiang Zhengqi Water and Shi Di Shui. These traditional Chinese medicines use high-concentration ethanol as a solvent during the preparation process.

For example, Huoxiang Zhengqi Water, which is used to treat headaches, chest tightness, vomiting and diarrhea caused by heatstroke and colds, uses 60% ethanol as a solvent, and the ethanol content of the finished product is as high as 40% to 50%.

Huoxiang Zhengqi Water Instructions

There is also Shi Di Shui, which is said to be able to relieve summer heat and strengthen the stomach. It uses 70% ethanol as a solvent, and the ethanol content is higher than that of Huoxiang Zhengqi Shui, at 60%~70%. The essence of this medicine is actually high-concentration liquor soaked in herbs.

Ten drops of water. Image source: Pharmacopoeia 2020 edition

Whether it is headache, vomiting, diarrhea, or heat stroke, there is no evidence that the herbal ingredients are beneficial to the human body, and the large amount of alcohol contained may make the condition worse. Take heat stroke as an example. The first step to deal with it is to dissipate heat and replenish water and electrolytes in time. Alcohol, as a diuretic, will accelerate dehydration. Drinking alcohol during heat stroke cannot relieve the heat, but will add fuel to the fire.

Drinking alcohol when you are sick is not common sense, but many people are dazzled by the herbal ingredients added. Parents are reminded that the efficacy and adverse reactions of this type of medicine are not yet clear, and it contains a lot of alcohol. Do not give it to children, and it is best not for adults to drink it either.

Image source: Weibo screenshot

A foreign study in 2016 showed that preschool children consume a lot of hidden alcohol through their daily diet, with the top three being baked goods such as bread, juices such as oranges, apples and grapes, and bananas. It is estimated that the average daily ethanol exposure of 6-year-old children is 10.3 mg/kg body weight.

Back to reality, part of children's alcohol intake may come from the natural fermentation and decomposition of food, and the other part may be that the packaging indicates that it contains alcohol, but parents do not pay attention to it.

The younger the child is, the greater the harm caused by alcohol. For the sake of the child's health, in addition to prohibiting the child from drinking, parents should also pay attention to identifying various foods and medicines containing hidden alcohol and limit their intake.

If you know of any other products that contain hidden alcohol, please leave a comment in the comment section.

References:

[1] Study on the effects of glutinous rice chemical composition on rice wine fermentation and quality Yang Ting, Jia Dongying
DOI:10.13684/j.cnki.spkj.2015.05.024

[2]Estimates of Ethanol Exposure in Children from Food not Labeled as Alcohol-Containing

Published online 2016 Aug 16. doi: 10.1093/jat/bkw046

Source: Dr. Oxy

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