Text: Rui Zhiyue
Edited by Rui Zhiyue
"Trouble comes from the mouth, and sickness enters from the mouth"
With the improvement of modern living standards, people are paying more and more attention to food safety while pursuing food enjoyment.
Some foods may carry various microorganisms and parasites, which may cause serious harm to the body once ingested.
In our daily lives, these five foods require our special attention.
01
Snail meat
On our daily dining table, snail meat has become one of the favorite dishes of many people due to its firm texture and rich taste.
However, did you know that there may also be some potential health risks hidden in snail meat?
Snail meat usually comes from farmed snails, which grow in an environment with good water quality and are generally not affected by serious pollution.
But what many people may not know is that snail meat may also carry parasites.
These parasites are found inside the snail meat and can be effectively eliminated when cooked at high temperatures, which is a safety guarantee when we eat snail meat on our daily dinner table.
The problem, however, is that unscrupulous traders may use snail meat that is not of substandard quality or is wild-caught.
If not fully cooked during cooking, these snails can become a health threat.
If ingested, it can cause discomfort such as abdominal pain and may even cause serious complications due to parasitic infection.
In particular, some wild-caught snails, such as the Fushou snail, are not native species and may be infested with a large number of dangerous parasites.
So, while the name Fushou snail sounds good, it hides huge risks.
Accidental ingestion of snails may cause serious health hazards and even endanger life and health.
Therefore, it is important to choose a regular restaurant and a reliable supplier of ingredients.
Consumers should also have a pair of bright eyes, be alert to possible food safety hazards from illegal vendors, and protect the health of themselves and their families.
02
bullfrog
Those bullfrogs with attractive aromas on the dining table were actually once also an "outsider"?
The North American bullfrog, with its amazing fecundity and appetite, once showed its strength among the native frogs and became the "new favorite" on the table.
However, behind these delicacies, there are also hidden risks.
The charm of bullfrogs lies in their large size, non-picky eaters, and low feeding costs, which make farmers turn to this "invader".
What spicy bullfrog, dry pot bullfrog, pickled pepper bullfrog...... The variety of cooking styles is mouth-watering.
However, there are some potential health risks hidden in the body of bullfrogs, especially wild bullfrogs.
Wild bullfrogs may have parasites such as Schistosoma mansoni and pneumophila in their bodies.
It is worth mentioning that these parasites can not only cause mild discomforts such as diarrhea and fever, but may even damage vital organs and even be life-threatening in severe cases.
03
crayfish
In summer, the steaming heat hits the face, and people are looking for ways to cool off. During this season, crayfish has become a gastronomic choice for many people.
Crayfish, the kind of red, boiled and turned orange-yellow little guy, is a regular at the barbecue table in the summer.
Their delicacy is often mouth-watering: the spicy, savory taste paired with a cold beer is synonymous with deliciousness in the world.
However, despite the delicious taste of crayfish, it hides health risks that should not be overlooked.
It is worth mentioning that in the process of cleaning crayfish, it is difficult to completely remove the parasites carried by them.
Coupled with the fact that crayfish live in a complex environment, their natural ability to carry parasites should not be underestimated.
Parasites such as ciliates, leeches and many species of flukes are looking for a breeding ground to thrive.
These tiny but deadly creatures can silently parasitize the human body, suck human blood and nutrients, cause organ failure, and even endanger life in severe cases.
And cooking at high temperatures is not effective in killing these parasites, which makes the food safety of crayfish even more difficult.
Therefore, while we enjoy food, we must also learn to fully protect ourselves.
Choosing a reliable supplier of ingredients and following the right cooking methods are important steps to ensure your health.
At the same time, it is also important to know how to control the amount of food consumed to minimize the risk.
04
sashimi
Sashimi, a mouth-watering Japanese delicacy, is becoming a sight on tables around the world.
Whether it's fresh freshwater fish or marine fish from the deep sea, it has the potential to be a delicious ingredient for this delicious dish.
However, with the diversification and globalization of food, there is a growing concern about food safety.
Sashimi, through fine knife work and fresh fish, brings out the original flavor of the ingredients.
But behind the deliciousness, there are health risks that cannot be ignored.
Fish that grow in the natural environment often parasitize various eggs or larvae.
In the process of making sashimi, there are actually high food safety hazards.
Even fresh fish can be found to be a source of parasites if it is not thoroughly sterilized.
Although it has been argued that soaking sashimi in wasabi is effective in killing parasites, this method is not 100% reliable.
Because the bactericidal effect of mustard takes time, it takes at least 30 minutes to soak for an effect.
Therefore, although sashimi is a delicacy, it is also a test of health.
While enjoying this dish, we may be able to increase our focus on food safety and choose fish that has been thoroughly processed and cooked to reduce potential health risks.
05
Rhombic
Water chestnut, an aquatic plant, not only grows luxuriantly in farmland and lakes, but also frequently appears on the dining table.
Some people like to cook it and serve it with various dishes, while others like to eat it raw, enjoy the crisp texture and taste it as a fruit.
However, the environment in which water chestnut grows determines the risk that it may carry parasites, which is often overlooked by many people.
As an aquatic plant, water chestnut grows in an environment that is highly susceptible to contamination by bacteria and parasites.
Because of long-term immersion in water, they may carry various parasites, especially common parasites such as fasciola ginger.
Once the ginger fasciola enters the human body, it will affect human health, cause symptoms such as anemia and edema, and even have a certain impact on people's mental state.
Therefore, although the refreshing taste of water chestnut is addictive, it takes a lot of careful preparation to enjoy this delicious dish safely.
The first step is to thoroughly wash the water chestnut to ensure that it is cleaned of dirt and potential parasites.
In addition, the water chestnut needs to be cooked, because the high temperature treatment can effectively kill the parasites on the water chestnut and ensure food safety.
Only by doing this can you truly enjoy the delicious taste of water chestnut without worrying about your health.
06
epilogue
In our daily lives, we often hear that there may be various parasites hidden in food, and these small but potential threats pose no small challenge to our health.
To prevent parasitic infections, personal hygiene is essential in addition to paying attention to food cooking and handling.
Frequent hand washing, keeping the environment clean and hygienic, etc., are effective ways to reduce the spread of parasites.
Source: People's Financial Media "Don't eat this kind of thing! Edible or fatal risk》2022-05-03
Chengdu Association for Science and Technology "The 3 dishes with the most "parasites" in the restaurant, do you still dare to eat them?2019-11-22
China Jiangsu Net "Eating water chestnut may be infected with parasites, disease control experts remind not to eat raw" 2018-09-20