IF birds nest industry formerly known as EBN (Edible Bird Nest ) soared due to high demand from major importing countries of China, now the industry threatened by the issue of nitrite content (NO2) are excessive.
As a result, the Chinese government has restricted the intake EBN from Malaysia. Even stocks that have been in the country also has frozen the price now make severe crash.
The Chinese government claimed that EBN supplied by Malaysia excess nitrite content of which can cause health problems.This issue has been extended until the Chinese government demanded if Malaysia is to sell the EBN to his country of the chemical content should be reduced, even down to zero.
Demand is seen is almost impossible due to the nitrite content is available in any organic plants, water and many more. In addition, EBN is imported from Malaysia only the most rigorous action.
According to Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine , Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Professor Dr. Saleha Abdul Aziz, nitrates or nitrites are chemical compounds consisting of oxygen and nitrogen content and a combination of various organic and inorganic compounds.
He said the nitrite content can be found around us like water and green plants in which can produce endogenously (with the substance in an organism or cell).“In fact, nitrite is also sometimes used in other food products such as cheese production and cheese-based ingredients, raw meat and the processing and many more.
“It is also used in various food products to prevent growth of Clostridium botulinum bacteria and also as a preservative in the meat industry,” he said. He said this when presenting Issues paper EBN Nitrate in conjunction with Bird’s Nest Industry Transformation Seminar Malaysia: Challenges facing the New Standard by the Institute of Food Technology (MIFT) in Kuala Lumpur recently.
He added that the nitrite content if taken by humans in excessive it can help accelerate the growth of cancer cells and tumors in the body, especially for adults and can cause leukemia in children.
Thus, the presence of nitrite content in EBN is not something new and it can be reduced .
Clearly Dr. Saleha, nitrite content can be reduced by using a plain water rinse EBN regularly.
In fact, the heating process can also reduce nitrite content and the higher the temperature used, the more many of nitrite can be reduced.
However nitrite content can also vary among the raw materials (EBN), after the cleaning process and finished products (canned nest soup).
Content nitrite can also increase in EBN through the water used during the cleaning process as well as other factors.
So the issue of nitrite content in EBN is not an issue that should be brought up to lead the industry with the production of EBN severely affected countries.
In fact there are studies that show there are a number of food products in China is also identified as containing a relatively high nitrite content. It’s like orange vegetables by 20 milligrams per kilogram (mg / kg), fresh milk 0.4 mg / kg, but not forgetting mineral water of 01 mg / kg.
Thus not only the nitrite content found in the EBN even any food and water consumed by humans, what is clear the issue is only enlarged.
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