Rice noodles can contain chemicals that range in severity from inducing cancer to causing food poisoning and diarrhea. How can you tell the difference between safe and contaminated noodles?
Identifying Chemical Contamination
Accurately determining chemical contamination in rice noodles requires laboratory testing. (Image: Illustrative photo)
Visual Clues
Due to their handmade nature, it's difficult to control ingredients and additives used in rice noodles. As such, visual inspection or tasting alone is insufficient to identify contaminated noodles. However, observing the color of the noodles can serve as an indication.
Genuine rice noodles are made from rice, resulting in an off-white color similar to cooked rice rather than pure white. Noodles that appear abnormally white, with shiny, brittle strands, may indicate the use of bleaching agents or similar chemicals to enhance their whiteness.
Haptic Test
Rice noodles free of chemicals tend to feel slightly sticky to the touch.
Definitive Testing
Laboratory testing remains the only reliable method for confirming chemical contamination in rice noodles. Noodles treated with bleaching agents or borax typically appear brighter and whiter, but consuming them can cause abdominal pain, diarrhea, and food poisoning. Long-term consumption may lead to liver and kidney damage, or even cancer.
Additional Precautions
As rice noodles are prone to spoilage, storing them at low temperatures or in well-ventilated areas is crucial to prevent food poisoning.
Source:
Assoc. Prof. Tran Hong Con Faculty of Chemistry, Vietnam National University, Hanoi