Beware Of This "Nutritious" Food, 3.7 Billion Yuan Case Busted!

Source: JobTube, Arianna J., Freya W., Josh B.

On November 23rd, Jiangmen Customs in Guangdong cracked a major nut-smuggling case totaling 3.733 billion Yuan, where some goods were sourced from epidemic areas worldwide. Nearly 50 tons of the goods were tested, and were found to be highly toxic, due to containing high amounts of Aflatoxin.

The Case

Recently, Jiangmen Customs Police Anti-smuggling Department received a report saying that trucks often unloaded nuts in a factory located in Jiangmen late at night, and were suspected of smuggling.

Subsequently, the police immediately began a field investigation and found that the trucks involved, all came from Sino-Vietnamese border areas. After further investigation, it was found that a criminal gang smuggled nuts collected worldwide into China, disguised as nuts produced locally. These nuts were then transported to a number of domestic nut production enterprises to produce nuts under various brands, which later would be sold all over the country.

After collecting substantial evidence, the police caught 12 main suspects from Jiangmen, Shenzhen, Pingxiang, Guangxi, Kunming, and Yunnan. 294.39 tons of nuts were seized on the spot, with a preliminary estimated case value of 430 million Yuan. As per the statistics, the group was suspected of smuggling 80,300 tons of imported nuts within five years, with a case value of 3.733 billion Yuan.

As of now, the case is still under further investigation.

Aflatoxin Kills

It was understood that the gang even purchased nuts cheaply from countries in some epidemic areas, to maximize profit their profit. They also bought nuts with aflatoxin exceeding the national standard and sold them, which would cause serious damage to the health of the customers.

1. So, what is aflatoxin? Why is it so toxic?

Aflatoxin is a powerful poison. 1 mg of it can lead to cancer in human bodies, for example, liver cancer; and 20 mg of it can directly cause death in adults. It can only be eliminated at a temperature as high as 280 ° or above, which is almost an impossible situation in our daily life.

2. How to tell if the nuts might contain aflatoxin

Generally speaking, there are two simple indicators.

First, the mold. This kind of carcinogenic mold is most likely to grow in a high temperature and humid environment, especially on nuts and other high-starch food. Thus, when eating nuts, if there is a mildew, just throw away the whole package.

Second, the bitter taste. The bitterness comes from the aflatoxin produced in the process of mildew. Regular intake of such food will increase the risk of liver cancer. Thus, once you chew such nuts, spit them out and rinse your mouth.

How to avoid aflatoxin poisoning in daily life

1. Wash the tableware thoroughly leaving no food residue or detergent; keep them clean and dry;

2. Frequently disinfect and replace tableware, especially wood products that easily go moldy, for example, chopsticks;

3. Pay attention to ventilation of the bathroom, and regularly change the bath sponges, toothbrushes and towels;

4. Eat more fresh vegetables, as green leaves can effectively inhibit the absorption of aflatoxin, such as B1, to reduce the risk of poisoning.

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