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    Home > Food News > Nutrition News > A 5-year-old girl was poisoned by eating homemade pickled kimchi!

    A 5-year-old girl was poisoned by eating homemade pickled kimchi!

    • Last Update: 2021-06-28
    • Source: Internet
    • Author: User
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    Pickles and kimchi are side dishes that many families like to eat, and many people also pickle kimchi at home
    .
     
    Recently, a 5-year-old girl in Zhuji, Zhejiang Province, suffered symptoms of poisoning after eating homemade pickled kimchi and was diagnosed with nitrite poisoning
    .
    When she was sent to the hospital, her lips turned purple and she had obvious symptoms of hypoxia
    .
    Fortunately, after treatment, he was out of danger
    .
     
    Why does nitrite poisoning occur when eating kimchi? Let’s talk about pickled kimchi today
    .

     
    1.
    Nitrite and blue baby syndrome
     
    The toxicity of nitrite mainly lies in its ability to oxidize hemoglobin into methemoglobin, which causes hypoxia and leads to cyanosis
    .
    It is generally believed that nitrite ingestion of more than 200 mg at a time may cause toxic reactions in adults
    .

     
    However, babies and children are at greater risk
    .
    Because children’s digestive system and methemoglobin reductase system are not mature, they are more likely to suffer from nitrite-induced methemoglobinemia, commonly known as "blue baby syndrome".
    It is a rare symptom that can bring oxygen to various body tissues and make the skin and lips purple
    .
     
    This is why it is said in the news that when the child was sent to the hospital, the doctor diagnosed it as nitrite poisoning through the child’s purple lips
    .
     
    2.
    Why is there nitrite in pickles?
     
    Vegetables will absorb nitrogen fertilizer or nitrogen in the soil during the growth process, and the nitrogen will be converted into nitrate in the body, and then during the pickling process, the nitrate will be converted into toxic nitrite by some bacteria
    .
     
    The content of nitrite in pickles has a change process of "first increase and then decrease"
    .
    For ordinary pickled vegetables, the nitrite content will continue to rise when they start to pickle.
    This is because the "nitrate" contained in vegetables is converted into nitrite by the "nitrate reductase" in bacteria
    .
    During the "peak" period of nitrite, the content can reach more than 100 mg/kg or even higher
    .
     
    Therefore, pickles in the "peak" period will contain high levels of nitrite and may reach disease-causing levels.
    Do not eat them, let alone give them to children
    .
     
    In addition, the amount of nitrite produced by kimchi has a lot to do with the fermenting bacteria
    .
    Studies have found that if pure acetic acid bacteria or pure lactic acid bacteria are used for fermentation, it will not lead to the production of a lot of nitrite, because these bacterial activities hardly produce nitrite
    .
    However, when many people make kimchi and sauerkraut, they do not have the conditions for pure strains to ferment, which inevitably contaminates the bacteria and is more likely to produce nitrite
    .
    Here is also a reminder to try not to pickle kimchi yourself
    .
     
    3.
    Can't you eat pickled vegetables?
     
    However, this does not mean that all pickles cannot be eaten
    .
    In fact, the nitrite content in pickled vegetables will not necessarily exceed the standard
    .

     
    In fact, after the peak period, the nitrite in the pickles will gradually decrease
    .
    Pickles in the peak period have high nitrite content and are not suitable for consumption
    .
    But after the peak period, after the nitrite content is reduced, you can eat it
    .
     
    The duration of the peak period is different for different vegetables
    .
    Generally speaking, the highest amount of nitrite in pickled vegetables occurs between two to three days to ten days after the start of pickling
    .

     
    Moreover, this time will also be affected by fermentation temperature and salt content
    .
    Generally speaking, when the temperature is high and the salt concentration is low, the peak of nitrite appears earlier; conversely, when the temperature is low and the salt content is large, it appears later
    .

     
    But from the current point of view, after 20 days, the nitrite content will reach a safe level, and it is safer to eat at this time
    .
    Therefore, to be cautious, it is recommended that you marinate for at least 20 days before eating.
    Pickled vegetables that have been marinated for more than one month can be eaten with peace of mind
    .

     
    4.
    Can children eat kimchi?
     
    As a preserved food, kimchi is not a healthy choice
    .
     
    First, kimchi is pickled.
    For example, there are a lot of salt, which are all high-salt foods.
    Although today's kimchi uses sugar and preservatives to help preserve it in order to meet the needs of consumers, the salt content is much less, but it is not low.
    , Eating it is not good for your health
    .
     
    Second, pickles with fresh vegetables or low compared to a lot of nutritional value, such as it contains vitamin C is almost gone
    .
     
    Some studies have also found that regular consumption of kimchi pickles may increase the risk of cancer
    .
    For example, a review article in 2009 summarized various studies conducted in Asia, and the article pointed out that people who regularly consume kimchi are more likely to develop esophageal squamous cell carcinoma
    .
    The food and health data compiled by the Chinese Nutrition Society show that from the current scientific research, excessive consumption of pickled foods will increase the risk of esophageal cancer, gastric cancer and high blood pressure, and also increase the risk of breast cancer in women.
    The reason may be It is because kimchi contains a lot of sodium
    .
     
    Therefore, if you eat kimchi once in a while, don’t give it to your kids all the time like Koreans do
    .
     
     
    5.
    How should kimchi be eaten?
     
    Kimchi tastes sour and refreshing.
    It can also increase appetite and increase appetite.
    Many people still want to eat something
    .
    So, how to eat kimchi to be healthier?
     
    (1) Don't eat kimchi that hasn't been marinated, and try not to eat homemade kimchi
    .
     
    Those kimchi that have only been marinated for two to three days to ten days have not been marinated.
    The nitrite content is the highest.
    Don't eat it.
    It is best to marinate for 20 days before eating.
    Homemade kimchi is prone to contamination by bacteria, and there may be more nitrite.
    Try not to eat
    .
     
    (2) Not eating too much
    .
     
    The biggest problem with kimchi is its high salt content, so eat less, just occasionally
    .
     
    (3) Use it instead of salt for cooking
    .
     
    Although the vitamin C content of pickled vegetables is very low, it is rich in potassium and dietary fiber.
    Anyway, salt should be added to cooking.
    As long as the saltiness is controlled, it is better to use pickled vegetables instead of salt.
    It can also increase some minerals and minerals than directly adding salt.
    Dietary fiber, and kimchi can also make dishes more fragrant and delicious
    .
     

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