What are the dangers of food additives lurking behind convenience store foods?

Hello everyone! I'm Miko, the store manager.

When you go to a convenience store, you see things lined up in the refrigerated section like rice balls that stay shiny and firm even when they're cold, and salads that stay crisp and beautiful in color...when you think about it, have you ever wondered why they all seem so strange?

Dangers lurking in the refrigerated section of convenience stores

In fact, these foods sold at convenience stores and supermarkets exist thanks to "food additives ." Food additives are essential to keep food from spoiling, in other words, to make it "safe to eat" and to avoid food poisoning. They are also essential to improve the color, aroma, taste, and texture of food, in other words, to make it "delicious to eat."

The good looks of convenience store foods are thanks to food additives

The government has set standards for the types and amounts of food additives that people can ingest every day for the rest of their lives without any adverse health effects. However, don't you think that food additives are somehow related to allergies, mental illnesses, and the explosive increase in cancer, which did not exist in the past, even if they do not immediately kill people? Moreover, it is clear that food additives definitely affect the intestinal environment, and are one of the risk factors for weakening the immune system.

Food additives have safety standards, but their long-term effects are unknown

When you're busy and trying to get a meal, you may find yourself relying on convenience stores. However, even convenience store onigiri, which may seem relatively safe, has its pitfalls. In fact, the rice used in convenience store bento boxes and onigiri is often old, unsold rice in order to keep costs down, and because it is dry and unappetizing, oils and additives are used to improve the flavor and shine.

The vegetable oil is added to give the rice a glossy finish, and this oil contains an emulsifier, and is known in the industry as rice cooking oil. However, what a surprise! In Japan, the label on the back does not say either vegetable oil or emulsifier, but simply says "salted rice." This is to say that the ingredient is rice that has already been salted, and anything that is passed on at this time does not need to be listed in the ingredients column, due to a convenient standard created by the industry called "carry-over." There is also a rule that if it accounts for less than 5% of the weight of the ingredients, it does not need to be listed even if it is added.

The rice used in convenience store onigiri rice balls is old rice that has been supplemented with oil and additives to enhance its flavor and shine, and many of these additives are also used that aren't listed on the label!

Also, pre-cut salads sold at supermarkets and convenience stores remain crisp and vibrantly colored even though we don't know when they were plated or packaged. This is because after the vegetables are cut, they are soaked in a chemical called sodium hypochlorite to prevent discoloration before being sold. However, soaking them in this chemical reduces their nutritional value to almost nothing.

Sodium hypochlorite is used to prevent discoloration in cut salads, but the nutritional value is low.

With the current cries for food safety, companies are trying to reduce the amount of additives they use as much as possible, but they are still more afraid of food poisoning, so they are trying to use additives that will not kill you immediately, will not spoil, and will maintain the flavor of the food.

To ensure food safety, companies are making efforts to reduce additives, but there are limits

You should reconsider buying lunch at a convenience store every day. Bring your own lunch, cook extra rice and freeze it, and try other things in your daily life. I think it's important to be aware that you are responsible for your own health.

miko

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