Does eating oyster sauce cause cancer? How to tell if it’s real or fake? If there are no these two words on the bottle, it’s fake

This article was reviewed by Pa Li Ze, chief physician of nutrition, member of the Science Popularization Committee of the Chinese Nutrition Society

Oyster sauce is a must-have seasoning in the kitchen. Many people like to use oyster sauce when cooking. However, many people on the Internet have spread rumors that oyster sauce can cause cancer. Is this true? Are there oysters in oyster sauce? How can we choose high-quality oyster sauce? What dishes are not suitable for oyster sauce? Let's take a look!

Does oyster sauce really cause cancer?

There are two main claims online that oyster sauce causes cancer.

1. Oyster sauce spoils due to improper storage

Oyster sauce contains more than 18 kinds of amino acids, multiple mineral trace elements, esters, organic acids and other substances. If the oyster sauce is stored at room temperature for a long time after opening, it is easy to oxidize and decompose, increase the contamination of harmful microorganisms, and easily deteriorate.

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Therefore, after opening the lid of oyster sauce, the reasonable storage method is to refrigerate it in the refrigerator (0-4℃). If it is stored at room temperature for a long time (especially in a kitchen with a higher temperature), it will undoubtedly increase the risk of corruption and deterioration.

2. The carcinogenic threat of monosodium glutamate in oyster sauce

It is said online that "oyster sauce contains a certain amount of monosodium glutamate, which will produce pyrosodium glutamate when heated. Pyrosodium glutamate is a carcinogen, so oyster sauce will cause cancer once heated." So, is this statement true?

Like MSG and chicken essence, oyster sauce also contains a certain amount of monosodium glutamate (a umami substance). When monosodium glutamate is heated to above 120°C, it is indeed possible to produce pyroglutamate, but this substance is not carcinogenic to the body. It just loses its umami taste after heating.

Are there really oysters in oyster sauce?

Answer: Regular products have

There are two ways to make oyster sauce: one is to steam oysters to get the oyster juice, and the other is to enzymatically hydrolyze the oysters to get the oyster juice. Therefore, oyster juice is the concentrated essence of "oyster meat".

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When buying oyster sauce, pay attention to the ingredient list. If the words "oyster sauce" do not appear in the ingredient list, or if there are words related to oysters, this oyster sauce may be artificially formulated oyster sauce with poor taste and nutrition. To some extent, it is a "fake oyster sauce" and it is best not to buy it.

It is recommended to choose a big brand oyster sauce produced by regular manufacturers, so that the quality, health and safety will be better guaranteed.

Does delicious oyster sauce mean more oyster juice?

Answer: Tasty and juicy oysters are not necessarily synonymous.

If monosodium glutamate is added, it will be fresher. Although there are many controversies about monosodium glutamate, it is currently believed that monosodium glutamate is safe for the human body and can be used as a food additive. There is no upper limit requirement, so it is a relatively safe food additive.

Oyster sauce is generally added with flavor enhancers. There are three common flavor enhancers, including MSG (monosodium glutamate), flavor nucleotides, and yeast extract. These flavor enhancers added to oyster sauce can double the flavor of the sauce.

Does the absence of oyster sauce content mean that there is no oyster sauce?

Answer: No

The national "General Rules for Pre-packaged Food Labeling" stipulates that the ingredients list should be arranged according to the amount of processing or addition, and there is no requirement to indicate the quantity.

Want to buy high-quality oyster sauce

You can pay attention to the following aspects

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How to choose high-quality oyster sauce?

1. Choose oyster sauce that has oyster juice listed first on the package. If oyster juice is listed after water in the ingredient list, the oyster juice content may not be high.

2. Pay attention to whether there is oyster juice content on the package. The higher the proportion of oyster juice, the better;

3. If the oyster juice content is not marked, you can judge the oyster juice content based on the protein content on the nutritional ingredient table. The higher the protein content, the better.

4. While referring to the protein content, you can also look at the sodium content and try to choose oyster sauce with lower sodium content.

When using oyster sauce, pay attention to 3 things not to add and 2 things not to eat

Oyster sauce 3

1. Don’t add braised or sweet and sour dishes

Sugar is needed for both braised dishes and sweet and sour dishes. White sugar can enhance the flavor of dishes, and adding oyster sauce is equivalent to enhancing the flavor twice. However, oyster sauce contains a lot of sodium glutamate, and if you use too much, the dishes will taste bitter, so it is better not to add it.

2. Do not add pickled vegetables

It is not recommended to add oyster sauce to pickled foods, including cured meat, pickled vegetables, and other foods. Because pickled foods are pickled with many kinds of ingredients for a long time, they are naturally salty. Oyster sauce itself contains salt, so adding oyster sauce can only increase the saltiness.

3. Avoid spicy food

Oyster sauce is a condiment with a strong flavor-enhancing effect and is only suitable for relatively light foods. Spicy foods have too complex a flavor and will cover up the umami flavor of oyster sauce, so it is not recommended to add oyster sauce.

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Don't eat oyster sauce

1. People who are allergic to seafood should not eat it

The oyster juice contained in oyster sauce is extracted from oysters or raw oysters. Some people are naturally allergic to seafood, so these people are best not to eat it. Although the content is not high, the risk still exists.

2. Do not eat food that is not well preserved.

The bottle of oyster sauce often has the words "Store at room temperature, refrigerate after opening" on it, which means that oyster sauce is not resistant to high temperatures. Since we often cook in the kitchen, the temperature can sometimes be very high, so oyster sauce can easily deteriorate or even become moldy.

Source: CCTV Life Circle

Original author: Yue Hong, associate researcher at Beijing Institute of Nutritional Resources

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