Food Additives Carbon Monoxide: Poisoning in Aquatic Products

What is carbon monoxide Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas, so it is easy to ignore and cause poisoning. The solubility in water is very low, but soluble in ammonia. When carbon monoxide enters the human body, it binds to hemoglobin in the blood, which in turn makes it impossible for hemoglobin to bind to oxygen, thereby causing hypoxia in the body tissues and causing the body to suffocate and die.

The use and disuse of the history The EU Food and Feed Rapid Alert System (RASFF) notification shows that China’s exports of tilapia fillets from the European Union have been prohibited by EU member states from entering the country due to carbon monoxide treatment. According to China's "Hygienic Standards for the Use of Food Additives" and "Food Sanitation Law" and other related regulations, the substance is not included in the scope of food additives.

On December 12, 2008, the “List of Non-edible Substances and Food Additives that May Be Illegal Additives in Food (List of First Batches) of Food Additives Prohibited by the Ministry of Health explicitly stipulates that carbon monoxide is an illegally added non-edible substance. In addition to a few countries such as Mexico, EU, Japan, Australia and other countries and regions have explicitly banned the use of carbon monoxide coloring agents in aquatic products.

Why do you add in the use of carbon monoxide in some food production enterprises in the early processing of aquatic products, will be divided and frozen into plastic bags, and filled with carbon monoxide, when carbon monoxide and myoglobin, can make the meat color bright Pink, looks like fresh fish, even if spoilage, color can be similar to fresh, improve the appearance of the product sold, so carbon monoxide can be used as a coloring agent for aquatic products.

What kind of hazards exist? Eating aquatic products containing carbon monoxide can cause poisoning in the human body. Mild poisoning causes headaches, dizziness, vomiting, and weakness. Severe patients with unconsciousness, miosis, increased muscle tone, frequent convulsions, incontinence, etc., deep poisoning can be fatal.

Detection methods and supervision In 2008, China has introduced a method for the detection of carbon monoxide in aquatic products, namely SN/T2052-2008 “Gas Chromatography Method for the Examination of Carbon Monoxide Residues in Import and Export of Aquatic Products”. Currently, there is no detection in China. National standard.

Strengthen the supervision of carbon monoxide in aquatic products, with emphasis on strengthening the control of production and processing links, prohibiting the use of carbon monoxide preserving and color processing, and supervising the adoption of the method of maintaining the temperature of the processing workshop at less than 10°C to achieve preservation and ensure the effect of color.