Not long ago, I was invited to give health talk in China. Almost everyday, the mass media kept reporting about the problem of too much whitener in wheat flour. Unethical manufacturer added too much Benzoyl peroxide in the flour for a better looking appearance. And within that week, I ate a lot of noodles due to tight schedule. This made me feel bad.

Why add Benzoyl peroxide?

In the past, Benzoyl peroxide was not added into the flour. The processed flour must be stored for 20 to 30 days. This allowed the air to oxidize beta-carotene in flour. Only then we can use it to make bread and other flour products. That is why flour gradually gets whiter as time passes.

By adding Benzoyl peroxide, manufacturer can reduce flour maturity period from 20-30 days to 2-3 days.

What is Benzoyl peroxide?

This substance is a type of food additive used to improve flour quality during factory processing. As it is not stable, Benzoyl peroxide will convert back to benzoyl and stain the flour. Since this substance is a strong oxidant, it is also used as chemical whitener. WHO suggests daily dosage of only 40mg/kg. And the European Union banned the use of Benzoyl peroxide in 1997.

Whitener’s harm to our body

1. Upon entering our body, the liver has to neutralize Benzoyl peroxide. This is the reason why this substance is bad for those with weak liver.

2. Benzoyl peroxide also contains some selenium and lead. That is why EU banned its use in 1997.

3. This additive will destroy nutrient content in flour. It oxidizes beta carotene, affect vitamin A content and causes the loss of vitamin E and K. It even has some influence on vitamin B1 and B2.

4. Long term consumption of flour and its products which contain Benzoyl peroxide may cause chronic intoxication. This is especially harmful for the liver.

5. Beijing Medical University and Xiehe Medical University’s joint publication in 1997 stated it may cause cancer.

Additives are found everywhere. We must be cautious of these additives to reduce risking our health.

Do you see that?

Yesterday, my wife showed me a Leggo’s tomato paste and said, “Look at this.”

Hmm… Looks like some mold is growing in the tomato paste. How can that happen? I checked the expiry date again. It was 08-08-2010. So I asked my wife, “Did you hear the ‘pop’ sound when you open the lid?”

“Yes I did” she replied. This shows the tomato paste has been contaminated before it was sealed. So it was the problem in the production process. Here are the mold photos.

Hmmm... This shouldn't be here

Can you see the fur?

Then we thought of throwing away the upper half and cook only the bottom half of the tomato paste. However to be safe, I checked with my biologist sister. Well, she said better don’t eat it at all. The mold growth was just an indicator. Maybe there were other types of germ inside, such as the Botulinum.

I didn’t like the prospect of running for toilet after eating this tomato spaghetti. So we decided not to use it at all.

We bought this Leggo’s tomato paste at Jusco Bukit Indah in Johor Bahru just a few days ago. At first we intended to ask for a refund or exchange but the receipt was nowhere to be found. So I can just take a few photos and throw it away.

I chose this brand because the label says: “No artificial colours, No artificial flavors, No added preservatives”

Well, is the mold growth caused by absence of preservatives? Is tomato paste with added preservatives safer to take? I’m not sure about this. But the manufacturer should have done many tests to confirm their product safety even without adding preservatives. So this problem may be caused either by their production system flaw or human error.

Actually I’ve bought tomato paste from Leggo’s brand before this. But I probably won’t choose this brand again. Luckily the mold had grown big enough for us to see it. If not, we may have eaten it and had to run for toilet many times.

What was our replacement for tomato paste? I rushed to Pacific hypermarket and bought the paste from Dolmio brand. Once again, no artificial colors, flavors and preservatives. Just in time for our tomato spaghetti lunch

Your blood pH level is 7.4 which is slightly alkaline based. Your body will automatically maintain this pH level to ensure proper body functions. But if you take in too much acidic food, your blood tends to become more acidic.

To maintain pH level of 7.4, calcium in your bone will be extracted into blood stream since calcium is alkaline based. Eventually, you will have all sorts of body stiffness, body pain and even bone spur.

Acidic body environment also prevents your immunity cells from functioning properly. This in turn leads to lowering of your immune system. You will also have poor blood circulation. In short, most diseases are caused by an acidic body.

Acidic food

By acidic food, it doesn’t mean the food must has acidic taste. We burn the food into ash and mix it with water. Then we test the water for its pH level. This is how food acidity is determined. So what type of foods are acidic in nature? These are:

• Meat
• Fried and grilled food
• Beans and nuts (peanut is highly acidic)
• Rice, wheat, noddles and bread
• Sugar and sweet food (cake, ice cream, beverage, etc. except fruit)
• Salty food

And what type of foods are alkaline in nature? These are:

• Fruits
• Vegetables

Balanced diet

Naturally, you should take a balanced diet to maintain a slight alkaline body condition. Forget about the old food pyramid where you must take rice, wheat and bread the most. Here is a new food pyramid you can follow:

• One forth of your diet should consist of meat and beans (acidic)
• One forth of your diet should consist of rice, wheat and bread (acidic)
• Half of your diet should consist of fruits and vegetables (alkaline)

Do you realize this new food pyramid consists of half acidic food and half alkaline food? This balanced diet helps to keep your body in a healthy acidity level. Actually, your body is slightly alkaline. Therefore, it is even better if you can take slightly more fruits and vegetables.

In your next meal, see how much acidic and alkaline food you take. Make sure you have a well balanced diet for a healthy body.