Following recently published research that suggests that repeatedly boiling hot-pot broth results in harmful levels of nitrite, specialists recommended that hot-pot lovers finish their hot-pot broth as soon as possible during the first 30-minute round of boiling.
In an article appeared in the Shanghai Journal of Preventive Medicine, four different flavors of hot-pot broth were tested for nitrite levels after 30, 60 and 90 minutes of boiling. After 90 minutes of boiling, the nitrite level of pickled cabbage hot-pot broth spiked almost 10-fold (9.83) to 15.73mg/L, that of seafood hot-pot increased 7.06 times to 12.70mg/L, double-sided hot-pot 3.05 times and bone-based hot-pot broth 2.88 times (with original nitrite levels of between 1.3 and 1.8mg/L), the research showed.
Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital department of toxicology director Lin Chieh-liang (林杰樑) said that nitrite was a chemical element often found in fermented food, but there is little research on the increased levels of nitrite after continuous heating.
He said he believed the research was particularly valuable for the hot-pot and soup-obsessed Taiwanese.
Lin said that an excessive intake of nitrite can cause methemoglobinemia, a blood disorder with symptoms including headache and shortness of breath due to lack of oxygen.
A serious case of methemoglobinemia can be fatal.
The acceptable daily intake of nitrite per 10kg of body weight is 0.73mg/L, Lin said.
That means that a 60kg adult with an acceptable daily intake of 4.3mg/L can easily exceed the recommended amount of nitrite after only a few bowls of 90-minute-boiled, pickled cabbage hot-pot soup.
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
SIX SUBSIDIES: The monthly allowance for older farmers is to increase to NT$10,000, and NT$5,000 is to be given to homemakers under the national pension system, Lai said The government is to implement major welfare policies for disadvantaged groups, including raising the monthly allowance for older farmers to NT$10,000 and providing homemakers with NT$5,000 per month, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday. Lai made the remarks during a visit to Wangling Temple in Chiayi County, saying that the planned increases were being introduced amid economic growth and an increase in tax revenue. Touting a policy, in which the government plans to provide a monthly allowance of NT$5,000 for every child under the age of 18 in a bid to address Taiwan’s low birthrate, Lai said that if received for the
STAY COOL: The HPA recommended that people stay hydrated, use air-conditioning or fans while indoors, wear loose-fitting clothes and walk in the shade while outdoors Employers must implement measures such as installing cooling equipment, and providing drinking water and rest breaks for outdoor workers starting from Monday next week, the Taipei Department of Labor said on Sunday. Employers who fail to comply could face fines of NT$30,000 to NT$300,000 under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (職業安全衛生法), the department said. Businesses in Taipei employing fewer than 100 workers, as well as registered self-employed workers with labor insurance coverage, could receive on-site assessments and guidance from occupational safety consultants to help them apply for central government subsidies to implement or improve heat-protection measures, it said. Under the Ministry of
ISOLATION: The outposts would serve as support and backup bases, forcing US forces to either face China head-on or reroute, increasing travel time and operational costs China’s outposts in the South China Sea could be used to delay and constrain foreign forces during a conflict in the Taiwan Strait, giving Beijing a critical window to carry out amphibious landing and blockade operations, a report said. The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) forward operating bases on islands and reclaimed features in the South China Sea could delay foreign forces long enough for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to secure a key 48-to-72-hour window in the Taiwan Strait, a report commissioned by the Mainland Affairs Council found. The report, conducted by the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, examined
RSS