Supermarket food departments are full of dangers
Do you enjoy shopping in supermarkets on a regular basis? Compared to a decade ago, there is a wider selection of products, more colourful and more beautifully displayed. Those who remember the supermarkets of the past may recall the tasteless, black-and-white photo-like sales areas of the past and be amazed at the progress that has been made since then. Many products that were not available in the past have appeared on the market, and convenient, tasty and cheap products are now readily available. However, it would be a bit chilling to find that amongst these products there are those that have been designated as poisonous and banned for sale in other countries.
It seems like only recently in Japan that the price of butter has risen sharply due to a shortage. In the butter section of supermarkets, “sold out” notices were conspicuous, stating that stocking would be on date xxxxx, etc. However, even if you went there on the stocking date, it was already gone, or there was a sign saying ‘Limit one per family’, and the price was more than double what it had been before.
In such a situation, butter-flavoured margarine was overflowing. Many people gave up on butter and bought margarine because it tasted the same and was softer and easier to spread on bread without heat.
Countries around the world moving towards restricted intake
In fact, margarine contains high levels of trans fatty acids, which are considered harmful to the body worldwide. Many people may have unwittingly taken in the poison since the “butter shock in Japan”.
The focus is on the percentage of trans fatty acids in food, with recommendations for setting maximum trans fatty acid concentrations and regulating their use. The number of countries introducing such regulations has increased, particularly those with high trans fatty acid intake, and according to the WHO, this number rose from seven in 2015 to 14 in 2020, and is reported to have reached 46 as of December 2022.
Food counters are as beautiful as a flower garden
In addition to this, meat and fish in supermarkets are more vibrant than in the past. Moreover, the red colouring remains good even if they are on the shelves from morning till evening. They look tasty and you are tempted to reach for them. Also, don’t you feel that ham and sausages, for example, now keep their freshly-purchased colour forever? In Japan, various red, yellow and blue food colourings, which are banned in many countries, are allowed to be used.
Fluffy bread is actually dangerous too
Don’t you feel that buttered bread is also fluffier and tastier than before? Potassium bromate is a very effective flour treatment agent for fluffing bread. Potassium bromate is a food additive approved for use by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, which splits into bromic acid and potassium in the bread dough, oxidising the proteins in the wheat. This improves the structure of the gluten, which has a major impact on bread’s taste, and the resulting bread has an even texture and fluffiness.
Unexpected pitfalls in food-rich Japan
However, potassium bromate was found to be carcinogenic and its use was banned by the WHO. Many other countries, including the UK, the EU, South America and China, have also banned its use. At first glance, Japan may seem to have become very food-rich, but food hazards lurk close at hand. We need to be careful when shopping, and not be distracted by convenience and colourfulness.
By Admin|2024-02-08|News Release,|