surprised! Some Table salt Added Du Substance potassium ferrocyanide
Wu Guofa
First draft: June 11, 2022
Modification: July 03, 2022
Summary of contents : Some table salt has added ferrocyanide Potassium; some table salts have added potassium iodate (iodized salt); and some table salts have sodium chloride added ( low-sodium salt ). Baidu's "Encyclopedia Entry" says, " potassium ferrocyanide has extremely low toxicity ". The author recommends that all salt-making enterprises be state-owned; Chinese people should not eat table salt with added potassium ferrocyanide and "low-sodium salt"; be careful about eating "iodized salt."
Keywords : table salt, potassium ferrocyanide, sodium chloride, low sodium salt, iodized salt
table salt with added potassium ferrocyanide
I read a message sent to me by a friend on June 7, saying that ferrous iron was added Potassium cyanide salt is poisonous. A friend quoted information from Professor Yu of the Party School, saying that Professor Yu consumed table salt with added potassium ferrocyanide, causing "severe damage to the kidneys."
I immediately checked the two bags of table salt in my refrigerator: one bag was "sun-dried natural salt" manufactured by "China Salt Shanghai Salt Industry Co., Ltd." without adding potassium ferrocyanide; the other bag was from a company in a certain province. The manufactured " refined salt " contains potassium ferrocyanide. I immediately threw the bag of "refined salt" into the trash can.
Next, I looked up Baidu's "Encyclopedia entry" on the Internet and searched for "salt with added potassium ferrocyanide" and found a lot of information.
There are many companies manufacturing "table salt with added potassium ferrocyanide", as well as table salt with other substances added.
The following is a puzzle of salt with potassium ferrocyanide and salt bags with other substances added:
The relevant content of "Potassium Ferrocyanide" in Baidu's "Encyclopedia Entry" is as follows:
"Potassium Ferrocyanide is An inorganic compound , also known as potassium hexacyanoferrate (II), with the molecular formula K4Fe(CN)6, is a yellow crystalline powder. "
" Potassium ferrocyanide is added to as an anti-caking agent. In table salt, it can prevent table salt from clumping due to high moisture content. "
Potassium ferrocyanide's toxicity Because the cyanide ions in the molecule are strongly combined with iron, potassium ferrocyanide is extremely toxic to rats. Oral intake LD50 is 1.6~3.2g/kg. FAO/WHO (1974) stipulates that the allowable daily intake (ADI) is 0~0.25mg/(kg·d)"
The picture below is a bag of "food additives". Potassium ferrocyanide:
It is said online that "table salt added with potassium ferrocyanide is poisonous" is a rumor, which has long been "refuted".
On January 21, 2019, "Guiyang.com Official Account" published an article on Baidu APP "Potassium ferrocyanide" is added to table salt. Is this substance toxic? Officials have already refuted the rumors! 》. The web link of the article is as follows:
https://baijiahao.baidu.com/s?id=1623252351783703012&wfr=spider&for=pc
The following is the key content of the article:
Ping Lantian, deputy manager of the Marketing Center of Guizhou Salt Industry Group, said, "Ferry "Potassium cyanide" is used as an anti-caking agent and is added to table salt to prevent clumping.
According to Chinese national standards, the maximum amount of potassium ferrocyanide added to table salt is 10 mg per kilogram. If something goes wrong with eating, a 60-kilogram person must eat at least 3 taels (150 grams) of salt a day, which is obviously impossible. Therefore, potassium ferrocyanide has undergone safety assessment and is safe when used in compliance with regulations. Consumers do not need to worry.
The article also said:
As early as 2009, the former Ministry of Health published an article "Standardized use of salt anti-caking agents will not cause harm to health" to refute this rumor . Potassium ferrocyanide, commonly known as potassium yellow blood salt, is a light yellow crystalline particle and is a food anti-caking agent permitted by the United Nations International Codex Alimentarius Commission. Some opened table salt absorbs moisture in the air and easily clumps, affecting its appearance, making it inconvenient to eat and not conducive to controlling salt intake. Add potassium ferrocyanide anti-caking agent to keep it loose.According to national standards, the content of potassium ferrocyanide anti-caking agent added to table salt shall not exceed 10 mg per kilogram. This is equivalent to eating 150 grams (about one-third of a bag) of salt every day for a lifetime to cause chronic poisoning.
The above is the previous important information about table salt with added potassium ferrocyanide. It is up to the Chinese people to decide whether to eat table salt with added potassium ferrocyanide.
Although officials say that consuming "table salt with added potassium ferrocyanide" will not "cause chronic poisoning." However, the author still believes that one should be very cautious about consuming "table salt with added potassium ferrocyanide"; it is recommended not to use "table salt with added potassium ferrocyanide".
"Low sodium salt" and "iodized salt"
In fact, the salt consumed by Chinese people not only includes salt with potassium ferrocyanide added, but also salt with potassium chloride, potassium iodate and other substances added. There are many types of "low sodium salt", "iodized salt", etc.
(A) It is not suitable to eat "low sodium salt"
The composition of ordinary table salt is 100% sodium chloride.
"low sodium salt" contains less sodium (about 70% sodium chloride) and rich in potassium (about 30% potassium chloride) than ordinary sodium salt. It is said that low-sodium salt can supplement the potassium needed by the human body.
The picture below is part of a "low-sodium salt" packaging bag with potassium ferrocyanide added:
"Low-sodium salt" in Baidu's "Encyclopedia Entry" says that low-sodium salt is not suitable for people with "heart problems" For people with diseases, K+ can easily increase the burden on the heart. If abused, it may cause sudden death. "
There is a "misunderstanding" in Chinese people's traditional health care concept that a light diet can prevent high blood pressure . In fact, there is no correlation between salty diet and blood pressure.
Ordinary people do not lack potassium , do not need to consume low sodium salt .
(B) Be careful when consuming "iodized salt"
Some companies manufacture "iodized salt". "Iodized salt" refers to table salt with added potassium iodate. Most salt on the market with the word "iodine" on the packaging is iodized salt.
Below is the packaging information of an "iodized salt" containing potassium ferrocyanide:
Iodine exists in nature, and people mainly ingest it from drinking water, food, vegetables and the surrounding environment.
"Iodized Salt" in Baidu's "Encyclopedia Entry" says, "Iodized salt is mainly consumed by residents in iodine-deficient and low-iodine areas. In areas with high iodine, non-iodized salt should be purchased, because high iodine is the same as low iodine. It can also cause goiter and even hyperthyroidism. It is not necessary to consume too much iodized salt, as eating too much will cause other diseases."
Five recommendations
Humans have been eating ordinary table salt for tens of thousands of years. Therefore, ordinary people should not eat table salt with added potassium ferrocyanide, "low sodium salt", "iodized salt", etc.
In addition, eight years ago, authorities allowed private salt-making enterprises. Salt production enterprises have been state-owned for thousands of years. Salt is related to everyone's health and life. Private salt manufacturing enterprises should not be allowed.
Therefore, the author recommends :
(1) Nationalize all salt manufacturing companies ;
(2) Salt manufacturing companies should not produce "salt with added potassium ferrocyanide" ;
(3 ) Chinese people should not eat "salt with added potassium ferrocyanide";
(4) Chinese people should not eat "low-sodium salt" with "less sodium".
(5) Chinese people should be careful about consuming "iodized" table salt "iodized salt".
