Although it has been repeatedly disidak and warned, but still only found in foods that contain hazardous substances on the market. Not only found in wet food such as noodles and tofu, snacks kids at school are also not spared from the threat of hazardous chemicals.
From the results of routine sampling by Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) RI in recent years, there are four types of hazardous materials that are often misused in food, ie, formalin, borax, dye rhodamine B, and methanyl yellow.
In fact, no laboratory test is rather difficult to determine whether a food that is sold is safe or free from harmful chemicals. However, according to Chandra Irawan, faculty of the Academy of Chemical Analysis of Bogor, in general we can identify foods that contain harmful substances from the physical form, such as color, texture, and flavor.
Characteristics of food berformalin
- Mi wet berformalin: Not sticky, more polished, not broken until two days at room temperature, and lasted more than 15 days at refrigerator temperature (10 degrees Celsius). - Know berformalin: texture is too hard, chewy but not dense. No damage up to 3 days at room temperature and can withstand 15 days in the refrigerator. - Fish berformalin: Color is not bright red gills, rather than fresh red, and white fish meat color. No damage up to 3 days at room temperature. - Fish sauce berformalin: Clean bright and distinctive smell of dried fish. No infestation of flies in the area berlalat, not broken until more than 1 month at a temperature of 25 degrees celsius. - Meatball berformalin: Its texture is very chewy, not broken until 2 days at room temperature. - Chicken berformalin: Its texture is firm, not like flies, not broken until 2 days at room temperature.
Characteristics of food containing borax:
- Mi wet: texture is thicker, more shiny, not sticky, and not quickly broken. - Meatball: Its texture is very thick, the color is not brown like the use of meat, but more likely to whitish. - Snack: For example, rice cake, its texture is chewy, sharp taste, very tasty, and provide a sense of bitterness. - Crackers: Its texture is crisp and can cause a feeling of bitterness.
Characteristics of food using the dye rhodamine B and yellow methanyl:
- The color is striking - Bright polished - The color is not homogeneous (there is a clot) - There is a slight bitter taste - Appears itching in the throat after eating them
source: KOMPAS.com
