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🇹🇼 Taiwan /Health & Science

Benzopyrene Carcinogen: Not Immediately Cancerous, Experts Advise on Safe Oil Consumption

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • A recent "carcinogenic oil" incident is due to specific contaminated batches, not an inherent toxicity in soybean oil, according to a nutritionist.
  • Benzopyrene, a "Group 1 carcinogen," indicates strong evidence of carcinogenicity but does not mean immediate cancer from a single exposure; risk depends on quantity and duration.
  • Consumers are advised to check batch numbers, stop using affected products, and reduce exposure by avoiding repeated frying, burnt food, and excessive cooking fumes.

Recent concerns over "carcinogenic oil" stem from specific contaminated batches rather than the soybean oil itself being inherently toxic, according to nutritionist Tseng Chien-ming.

The problem lies in 'specific batch contamination,' not that 'soybean oil itself is toxic'!

— Tseng Chien-mingThe nutritionist clarified the cause of recent concerns about carcinogenic oil.

Tseng explained that benzopyrene, classified as a Group 1 carcinogen, signifies clear evidence of its cancer-causing potential. However, he stressed that consuming it once does not equate to immediately developing cancer. The actual risk is determined by the amount consumed and the duration of exposure. Unlike bacterial food poisoning, it does not cause immediate illness like diarrhea.

A 'Group 1 carcinogen' means the evidence for its carcinogenicity is very clear, but it does not equate to 'getting cancer immediately after eating it once.'

— Tseng Chien-mingThe nutritionist explained the classification of benzopyrene and its implications for consumers.

Consumers are urged to take three immediate steps: first, check batch numbers on products and verify them against official announcements; if a batch is flagged, stop using it immediately, and do not attempt to use it for cooking or give it to others. Second, if one has unknowingly consumed oil from a problematic batch, the key is to stop further consumption to mitigate risk.

The real risk depends on how much you ate and for how long. It's not like bacterial food poisoning where you'll immediately have diarrhea or feel unwell.

— Tseng Chien-mingTseng emphasized that the risk from benzopyrene is cumulative.

To reduce exposure to such carcinogens in daily life, Tseng advises against reusing frying oil multiple times, consuming excessively charred meat, eating smoked or burnt foods, and allowing cooking fumes to fill the kitchen. When purchasing and using cooking oils, he recommends focusing on four principles: ensuring the source is compliant (checking government announcements and inspections), proper storage (in a cool, dark place), suitability for the cooking temperature (using high smoke point oils for high-heat cooking and olive oil for dressings), and avoiding repeated high-temperature frying.

If you accidentally ate some in the past few days, there's no need for collective panic. Just stop using the problematic product now and block the opportunity for further intake.

— Tseng Chien-mingThe nutritionist advised on how to manage past exposure to contaminated oil.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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