Salted fish and hot rice are not good for health

Have you ever thought that eating salted fish can trigger cancer? Salted fish and hot rice plus spicy chili sauce is indeed a perfect lunch meal for Indonesians who like to eat traditional food. However, did you know that health experts don't recommend this?

Salted fish contains cancer-causing substances due to the manufacturing process

This delicious and appetizing salted fish basically contains nitrosamines, which are carcinogens (cancer-causing substances). These carcinogens are produced in the manufacturing process. As is well known, the process of making it is salted (salted) and then dried in the sun, to dry and so that it is more durable and can be stored for a long period of time.

Unfortunately, in the process of salting and drying, sunlight reacts to the nitrites produced by fish meat, forming nitrosamines. Finally, the frequency of eating salted fish for a long time can trigger nasopharyngeal cancer (throat cancer or ENT), especially if your immune system is low.

Why is salted fish more dangerous when eaten with hot rice?

Now, if the salted fish is added with hot, freshly cooked rice, the steaming rice steam will carry nitrosamines into the pores of your skin. Especially to the mouth, neck and throat.

Actually, it does not only apply to salted fish, foods and processed foods that are salted or at least contain nitrite (a part of nitrosamines), which will cause carcinogens in your body. Therefore, children are advised not to eat salted fish because their immunity is still low. If you have often eaten salted fish from a young age, you are more susceptible to nasopharyngeal cancer when you are an adult.

What is the function of nitrosamine nitrite for food?

In the early 20th century, many food producers began to use this nitrite in their products. What is the function of nitrite itself?

Nitrite is a food additive that is used as a preservative in meat processing. Nitrosamine nitrite is very important in preventing spoilage, especially for storage purposes, transportation which takes a long time, and the distribution needs of meat products.

Nitrosamine nitrite also functions as a building block for sensory factors, namely color, aroma and taste. Therefore, in the canned food industry, the use of this preservative is very important because it can cause the color of the processed meat to turn red or pink and look fresh so that the processed meat product is preferred by consumers.

How do you know if a food contains nitrosamine nitrite?

According to research from the University of Minesotta, nitrite substances in food, especially salted fish themselves are not a problem for the body, as long as they are not too frequent and excessive. Nitrite is also commonly found in corned beef, sausages and even cheese. However, during the process of digestion of these nitrites into the body, sodium nitrite will be converted into nitrosamines, and that's where the cancer begins.

It's actually easy for those of you who avoid this cancer-triggering substance, you can see behind the packaging on the nutrition label, if it says "sodium nitrite or nitrosamine nitrite" it is almost certain that the substance is a preservative and prevents the onset of rot in food, which should be avoided. . Nitrosamines in salted fish are also found in foods such as pickles, fried or smoked foods.