Haagen-Dazs was found to contain a Class I carcinogen. Can I still treat her to ice cream if I love her?

This summer, the ice cream industry is not peaceful. Just after the Zhong Xue Gao incident, Haagen Dazs has caused another wave of trouble.

Recently, the detection of ethylene oxide, a type of carcinogen, in Haagen-Dazs has sparked heated discussions. According to the EU Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed, ethylene oxide was detected in vanilla ice cream products of Haagen-Dazs in France. The relevant products have been distributed to more than 80 countries and regions including China, and the manufacturer has initiated a proactive recall.

Many netizens may wonder where the ethylene oxide in Haagen-Dazs ice cream comes from? Can we still eat ice cream safely? This issue of NetEase Health's "Health Focus" explains it for you!

1. What is ethylene oxide?

Arsenic in food, medical device disinfectant smells really good

Ethylene oxide is an organic compound, a colorless, flammable and explosive gas. At the same time, as a petrochemical product and a broad-spectrum sterilizer, ethylene oxide is widely used in the washing, pharmaceutical, printing and dyeing industries. For example, the medical surgical masks that people currently wear are sterilized using ethylene oxide.

However, since sterilized products usually have residues, many countries and regions prohibit the use of ethylene oxide in food. For example, my country clearly stipulates in the "Technical Specifications for Disinfection" (2002 edition) that ethylene oxide is not suitable for food sterilization.

Ethylene oxide is also carcinogenic. As early as October 27, 2017, the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer published a preliminary list of carcinogens for reference, and ethylene oxide was included in the list of Class 1 carcinogens.

Long-term exposure to ethylene oxide can cause acute poisoning, which mainly damages the respiratory system and central nervous system. Mild symptoms include dizziness, headache, nausea, vomiting, etc. Severe symptoms may include difficulty breathing, cyanosis, pulmonary edema, muscle tremors, confusion, and even coma and death.

2. Why is ethylene oxide mixed into ice cream?

Raw material pollution and food packaging material pollution are both suspicious

In fact, this is not the first time that ethylene oxide has been detected in food.

In 2020, Europe discovered that the ethylene oxide residue in Indian sesame seeds exceeded the standard, such as bread, sauces or other foods containing sesame seeds, triggering a large-scale product recall and removal from shelves.

In August 2021, 2-chloroethanol, a metabolite of ethylene oxide, was detected in a well-known instant noodle in South Korea.

In December 2021, the Food Safety Centre of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department of Hong Kong advised citizens not to eat 6 types of "GODIVIA" French imported ice cream because the stabilizers used in the relevant products were found to contain ethylene oxide, a pesticide banned by the European Union.

Europe was the first region to ban the use of ethylene oxide for food fumigation, and countries such as China and Australia also do not allow it to be used to sterilize food. However, in some countries and regions, ethylene oxide is still allowed to be used to sterilize food raw materials.

There are two reasons why Haagen-Dazs vanilla ice cream was suspected to be contaminated with ethylene oxide.

① Raw material contamination? Highly likely

Raw material contamination is one of the main reasons for excessive ethylene oxide in food. Locust bean gum (a plant gum extracted from carob seeds) and vanilla extract (a flavoring extracted from vanilla) are used in the production of ice cream. If the country where the raw materials are produced allows the use of ethylene oxide to sterilize the raw materials, then there is a possibility that ethylene oxide will remain in the raw materials of ice cream, thereby contaminating the finished ice cream.

② Is the food packaging material contaminated? It is also possible

Some packaging materials will use ethylene oxide fumigation to sterilize, such as peel-off packaging bags, polyethylene-polyester films, polyethylene plastic bags, wrapping materials, rigid containers, etc. If food comes into contact with such packaging materials with excessive ethylene oxide content, it may be contaminated.

3. If you love her, can you still treat her to ice cream without worry?

I am not afraid of ice cream assassins, I am afraid of the quality hurting my heart

① Will choose

China has strict standards for the quality and safety of ice cream (GB/T 31114-2014 Frozen Beverage Ice Cream). Whether it is raw materials or the types and amounts of food additives used in the production process, there are relevant standards. As long as the company strictly follows the standards, the safety is relatively reliable. How to choose specifically can be considered from the following three aspects:

Check: Nutritional Information

Reference to the national standard requirements for ice cream: Every 100g of ice cream contains ≥ 2.2-2.5g of protein (the higher the protein content, the better, and vice versa).

Ice cream-physical and chemical indicators

Second look: food ingredient list

Pay attention to the order of ingredients in the list. For example, if milk, milk powder, whey powder, and cream are at the front of the list, it means that the milk component is more, the quality is high, and the taste is rich and smooth. At the same time, the fewer food additives are added, the better.

Third quality: taste is important, and the price must be worthy of the wallet.

Ice cream-sensory requirements

② Eat in moderation

Most ice creams are high in sugar and fat. If your daughter is trying to lose weight or has weak gastrointestinal function, you should advise her to eat less or not eat it.

References:

1.http://www.agrichina.org/admin/kindeditor-4.1.2/attached/file/20210719/20210719102921_6467.pdf

2.http://chinawto.mofcom.gov.cn/article/jsbl/dtxx/202207/20220703332556.shtml

3.http://chinawto.mofcom.gov.cn/article/jsbl/dtxx/202206/20220603320990.shtml