The Potential Hazard for Instant Drinks
There is excessive fluoride in instant tea. In early 2004, an article published by one media plunged multinational giant Unilever into food security crisis. It disclosed that a latest study made by America showed that many instant beverages contain excessive fluorine and over drinking can lead skeletal fluorosis. One instant tea claimed to be the world’s No.1 selling belonged to Unilever was included in the excessive fluoride list.
We know that fluoride is a microelement necessary for the human body, which can promote bone growth and prevent tooth decay. However, it will be harmful for people if the fluorine content is too high, which may cause human osteoporosis, consequently leading to pain, joint activities inconvenience and other symptoms, resulting in spinal curvature, suffering from rickets, but also badly affecting other systems even the brain. Once the report came out, companies act immediately, sent this product being sold on the market to Ministry of Agriculture to inspect on their own initiative. The outcome showed that the fluoride content of a series of instant tea product is in accord with national standards.
Same black tea containing 6.5ppm per liter will be deemed as excessive in America but completely qualified in other countries. We can not but doubt the so-called “qualified” with such a big disparity. So, why the fluoride in instant tea exceeds standard content? It turns out that soil generally contains fluorine. while tea trees have strong ability to absorb it. Therefore, fluorine in tea is higher than the content in the soil, and much higher in old tea tree.
Acrylamide in instant coffee will make people flee with fear. The Sunday Times reported according to a UN study that 13%~39% of this cancer-causing chemical taken each day is from coffee. Then someone would argue that coffee is a common drink in western countries, but their cancer rate is not higher than that of us. It seems to be reasonable, but it is not so. The coffee indicated here is specifically the instant whereas the westerners mostly drink grinded coffee.
And where does the acrylamide in instant coffee come from? The point is in the manufacturing. As we mentioned above that the acrylamide is resulted from high temperature of frying and baking. Instant coffee is produced by the coffee powder, which is soluble coffee powder produced from the coffee bean by baking at high temperature, via concentrating, then removing water. A lot of acrylamideInstant will come into being by way of heat treatment as instant coffee is in the process of concentrating and drying. According to the sampling data from U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the acrylamide content in instant coffee powder is up to 458ppb, while the acrylamide content in fresh grind coffee is only about 10ppb. Apart from instant coffee, there are data showing that other tea products required of processing at high temperature, such as barley tea and so on, contain large quantities of acrylamide.
However, there are reports saying that it's helpful for people's body to often drink barley tea. Many experts have been disputing it. Different consumer can only have different views. How can we stay away from drinking danger? Young people in the period of growing up should not drink or drink less beverages containing high fluoride such as instant tea. The adult who drinks tea should choose more delicate tea product. The adults accustomed to drinking instant tea shouldn't drink tea more than six bags every day. About coffee, 1-2 cups is pretty enough for a day, for both instant and grinding one. We strongly suggest people drink self-grinding coffee if time and economy is allowed.
healthcare -- health.