Is puffed food "junk food"?

　　Our reporter Li Jian

　　Puffed foods such as snow rice cakes, potato chips, and shrimp crackers are very popular among young consumers, especially children, because of their crispy taste and changeable taste. Therefore, it is often regarded as "junk food" by parents.

So, is puffed food really useless, and how should consumers "friendly interact" with them?

Doubts: Are puffed foods nutritious?

　　On March 4, a reporter from "China Consumer News" visited a number of supermarkets in Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province and found that even the "snack lovers" who are keen on buying and buying, most of them think that puffed food is "high in oil and high in calories". If you try to taste it, it’s definitely not healthy.”

As for parents who take their children to the supermarket, many of them hold the view that "puffed food is not nutritious", and either refuse to buy it for their children, or tell their children to "try to eat as little as possible, and it is best not to eat" while choosing.

　　Are puffed foods really nutritious?

Xue Yong, an associate professor at the School of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering of China Agricultural University, said in an interview with a reporter from China Consumer News that puffed food is a snack food made from grains, potatoes or beans as the main raw materials.

The puffing itself is a physical processing technology. Its main principle is to use the heat or pressure difference of the raw materials to expand the volume of the food raw materials and make the tissue more loose, so as to obtain a crispy taste.

　　Puffed foods are not all fried foods.

"National Food Safety Standard Puffed Food" (GB17401-2014) divides puffed food into two categories: one is deep-fried puffed food that has been fried in edible oil or sprayed and dipped in vegetable oil, such as potato chips, crispy corners, Shrimp crackers, crispy rice, etc. are fried puffed foods; the other type is non-fried puffed foods mainly made by baking and other processes, such as snow rice cakes, small steamed buns, popcorn, etc.

　　Xue Yong believes that from the perspective of the raw materials of puffed food, cereals, potatoes, beans, fruits and vegetables or nuts and seeds are rich in carbohydrates, protein and dietary fiber. At the same time, because puffing is completed instantaneously at high temperature, many nutrients The loss is actually smaller than that of traditional cooking. It is obviously unreasonable to say that they are "no nutrition".

Of course, from the perspective of dietary structure, the nutrition of puffed food is indeed not comprehensive, but the daily dietary needs of the human body need to be met in a reasonable way, and no single food can meet the nutritional needs of the human body.

This also means that puffed food cannot be regarded as the main food in daily life.

　　Indeed, some companies add relatively more oil and salt to ensure that the puffed food tastes rich and crisp, resulting in high calories, high fat and high salt in this type of food.

In addition, in order to pursue the taste and flavor, some puffed foods also have food additives added beyond the range or in excess, which are potential health and safety hazards.

However, the national standard GB/T 226992022 "General Rules for the Quality of Puffed Foods" has strict restrictions on the calories, fat and other indicators of puffed foods. As long as they meet the national standards, they can be eaten in moderation.

Shopping: Pay attention to the packaging and need to "look at it twice"

　　Puffed food is the product of careful cultivation of coarse grains.

A puffed food that improves the taste of raw grains and has a reasonable ratio of nutrients can not only bring relaxation and pleasure to people, but also supplement the nutrition of staple foods.

Therefore, Xue Yong suggested that consumers give priority to choosing well-known brand products sold in large supermarkets.

In addition to paying attention to the price and brand, you should also do "two look", that is, look at the label and look at the packaging.

　　First, look at the labels.

It is necessary to purchase puffed food with complete production and label specifications.

The label should indicate the product name, net content, production date, shelf life, product implementation standard number, factory name, and factory address in accordance with relevant standards.

When purchasing, choose products that are within the shelf life and preferably recently produced.

　　The list of ingredients and the list of nutrition facts are information that consumers should pay special attention to.

The ingredients in the ingredient list on the label are basically arranged in order of content from high to low.

Try to choose products that do not use hydrogenated vegetable oil (but you can choose products containing fully hydrogenated oil, which generally do not contain trans fatty acids), and products that do not contain aluminum leavening agents (such as sodium bicarbonate, ammonium bicarbonate).

　　In addition, according to the standard, food must label the content and reference value of 4 kinds of nutrients, namely protein, fat, carbohydrate and sodium.

There are two columns for the numerical value on the nutrient composition table, the first column is the content of a certain nutrient component of the product, and the second column is the corresponding nutrient reference value, namely NRV%.

　　For the value in the first column, consumers can compare it with the indicators defined by the national standard to judge whether it meets the national standard.

The national standard GB/T22699-2022 "General Rules for the Quality of Puffed Foods" requires that the fat content must be ≤40.0% (excluding puffed foods with nuts as raw materials); the content of sodium chloride ≤2.8%; Stability of food for easy preservation), etc.

　　The value in the second column is the nutrient reference value (NRV%) calculated by nutritionists based on the physical conditions of Chinese residents. It refers to the percentage of total energy and various nutrients in food per 100 grams (or milliliters) of the human body in a day. , which allows us to intuitively understand how much energy we consume.

For example, the nutrient reference value (NRV%) of protein in a certain puffed food is 10%, which means that eating one serving of this food is equal to 10% of the protein that an adult needs for a day.

　　Second, look at the packaging.

Puffed food has a high oil content, and if it is not stored properly, it will easily deteriorate due to the influence of high temperature and high humidity.

The puffed food in the bag will be filled with gas, which can not only isolate the air and prevent the product from being oxidized by moisture, but also prevent the product from breaking and keep it in its complete shape.

Therefore, when purchasing, you should choose products that are sealed, fully inflated, and airtight; puffed foods sold in bulk are prone to rancidity and exceed the hygienic index because they are exposed to the air, so it is recommended to purchase with caution.

Eating: Less times and smaller amounts are healthier

　　Puffed food is delicious and convenient to eat, making it easy for people to eat it and not stop.

However, many puffed foods have the characteristics of high sugar and high fat, and long-term consumption of large amounts can easily bring adverse effects to the body.

Xue Yong reminded consumers to pay attention to the following issues when eating:

　　First, when opening the package, you should pay attention to smell whether the product smell is normal. There should be no pungent smell, no mildew on the outside, and a crispy mouthfeel.

　　Second, it is not advisable to eat too much for a long time.

Long-term consumption of a large amount of puffed food with high fat and calories can easily cause fat accumulation in the human body and obesity and other problems.

Especially adolescents and children who are in the stage of physical development should pay more attention to reasonable diet and balanced nutrition.

Eating a lot of puffed food, especially before a meal, can easily cause a feeling of fullness, affect the normal diet, lead to the lack of protection of various nutrients, and cause malnutrition.

The "Guidelines for Snacks for Children and Adolescents in China (2018)" jointly compiled by the Institute of Nutrition and Health of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the Chinese Nutrition Society divides snacks into three recommended levels: "regular consumption", "appropriate consumption" and "restricted consumption". Food, etc. are included in the "restricted consumption" level, and it is recommended to eat at most once a week.

In addition to young people, some people who should not eat too much sugar or patients with high blood pressure should also choose carefully.

　　Third, it is not advisable to eat puffed food on an empty stomach.

Some people are used to taking puffed food on an empty stomach to resist hunger.

But in the case of an empty stomach, the toxins such as lead and arsenic that some puffed foods may contain are particularly easy to be absorbed by the body.

Generally speaking, there are two possible reasons for excessive heavy metal elements: one is the containers used for processing. If aluminum tools and containers are used in the production process, aluminum elements will be introduced into the food, causing the aluminum content of the food to exceed the standard. Some packaging bags are made of aluminum film. If the storage time is too long and the protective layer is damaged, the aluminum content in the food will also exceed the standard.

Second, the use of aluminum-containing leavening agents may also cause aluminum to exceed the standard. For example, alum as a leavening agent is an aluminum-containing compound. Some companies use excessive amounts in pursuit of a better crispy taste, resulting in excessive aluminum content.