Be careful with cheap smoothies and fruit juices

Waste turned into a fine drink

Hot weather makes cooling demand increase, smoothies and juices are popular with many people. If in the past, only a few types of fruit were used for squeezing, such as oranges, grapefruits, apples... now almost any fruit is used for squeezing. Because, many people think that drinks made from fresh fruit will be less toxic than prepackaged foods. However, that is only true when the fruits ensure quality and origin.

Normally, pure fruit juice sold at restaurants and cafes costs from 35,000 - 60,000 VND/cup or more. However, in recent days, people in the city can buy pure fruit juices at markets and streets for only 15,000 - 25,000 VND / glass / bottle depending on the size. Every day, traders squeeze and squeeze out tons of carrots, oranges, and pineapples to sell to customers and earn millions.

At a sidewalk beverage shop in Lam Son Square area, on a trolley, a variety of common fruits and tubers, such as: oranges, pineapples, grapefruits, carrots, etc. coated". Right next to it is a small styrofoam box containing many bottles of ready-to-use juice without labels or expiration dates. I ordered a bottle of pineapple juice to take home. The salesman opened the styrofoam box and took out a yellow bottle of lavie. I asked to juice on the spot, but the seller replied: "Here only available juice, oranges 25,000 VND/bottle, pineapple 15,000 VND/bottle ...". “What about the fruit in the other car?” - I ask. The owner of the restaurant did not hide: "For the sake of beauty, guests in winter, drink on the spot to use it. And most of the takeaway customers sell ready-made juices.”

Looking for answers about the origin of these super cheap juice bottles, we went to Dong Huong wholesale market of vegetables, fruits and food (Thanh Hoa City). At 10 p.m., dozens of trucks carrying fruit jostled each other into the market. Fruits here are mainly transported from the southern provinces to the north. During transportation, it is normal for fruits to be crushed and crushed, especially in hot summer weather. This is the concern of many merchants. However, nowadays, crushed and crushed fruit is a "singing" commodity. According to our research, at the wholesale market of vegetables, fruits and Dong Huong foods, fruits are divided into many types and sold to many objects. Including the type of fruit used to sell to people who trade in smoothies and juices. To save costs, they often choose to buy cheap fruits, which can be damaged or bruised. The price is only 1/5 - 1/8 of the price of fresh fruit. After buying these fruits, they will be cut off the damaged areas, crushed before putting in the refrigerator. Even many stores still grind it, put it in the refrigerator, when a customer orders, bring it out...

In front of a kiosk about 30m from the market gate that was closed to rest, there were 3 women huddled together to sort and cut fruit of all kinds, such as: Watermelon, plum, peach, toad, orange , guava, apple... Lan came to ask, a woman named Van, 31 years old, Quang Xuong district, working as a porter, shared: “My main job is loading and unloading at night for flower owners. fruit at the market. Recently, I took advantage of picking up bad and damaged fruit that the owner of the goods rejected, then sorted, peeled off the inedible part and sold it to those in need.

According to Ms. Van, a few years ago, fruit was damaged, crushed, and filled the market to pick up. Now, many people who work as her also want to earn a couple more coins, so they compete to pick up, where good fruit is, they compete to buy it.

“Sometimes, I also have to book in advance with shippers asking them to save it for me. The price also depends on how little or how much damage. Usually we buy in "pile", "bundle", there are "bundles" of only 10,000 - 20,000 VND, where "first-class goods" (slightly damaged), up to 50,000 VND is a lot. About me skillfully cut, remove the damaged part to sell. That way I can earn enough money to live every day," Van revealed.

Looking at the fruit, Ms. Van and a few others are busy cutting, all of them are broken goods, if the head is not rotten, the body is rotten. There are many damaged fruits, such as: Avocado, mango... but still used. “It looks like it, but this fruit is very expensive. Not a single day. If it's good, the price is high, if it's not, the price is low. No matter how bad or bad the fruit is, someone will buy it," said Ms. Van.

Not only sidewalk shops use spoiled and stamped fruit to make smoothies and juices, but "luxury" cafes also make full use of this unsafe food. According to Ngoc Minh, an employee at a cafe on Dong Huong Street, Dong Huong Ward, Thanh Hoa City, shop owners often import half of delicious fruit and half of fruit that is out of date (smashed) for filling. into each other. “A glass of apple juice sells for about 30,000 VND, while the price of apples sold in the market is also 30,000 to 40,000 VND/kg. Squeeze a glass of pure apple juice over half a kilogram. Where do you get a profit from using good apples?" - Trang said, processing mixed together, customers can not detect. For example, pineapple juice, watermelon, grapefruit, mango smoothie... grind it out and add flavoring to create a delicious scent. And apples, pears, plums..., crushed and cut to get edible places to make pickled fruits.

Although not fresh fruit is used for processing, popular smoothies are still very eye-catching. Answering this question, Ngoc Minh said that fruit is only a part to make a smoothie, in addition to other ingredients, such as: syrup, milk, sugar. Any kind of smoothie will be added to the syrup of that fruit, ensuring a delicious taste. Syrups have many origins, for example Monin syrup from France costs about 220,000 VND / 70ml bottle, this type is used in luxury cafes. There are also many types of syrups with very cheap prices, for less than 10,000 VND you can buy a 650ml bottle of Chinese goods. The sidewalk shops sell to students, students often use this type. "Usually, when using these syrups to mix into juices or fruit smoothies, the sweetness is enough, so the owner will also save money on buying sugar and condensed milk," Ngoc Minh added.

Incredibly dangerous

Sharing about this issue, Dr. Hoang Bien Cuong, 108 Hospital (Hanoi), said: "The process of squeezing and preparing juice is not seen by everyone, because they use fruit for profit. damaged for a long time. Although the fruit is fresh and safe, the unsanitary environment is also the cause of poisoning after drinking. That is not to mention improperly preserved, for a long time when drinking, it is easy to suffer from many digestive diseases. Fruits have a lot of water, fiber, vitamins, high antioxidants... However, many types only provide enough ingredients for the body when eaten, and when cut, soaked in water for a while to be pressed. retains only a very small amount of the components found in the fruit. Not to mention, if the juicer is not washed and handled carefully, it is an environment that produces dangerous fungi and microorganisms for the intestinal tract.

To ensure health, especially when many diseases arise due to hot weather, Dr. Cuong advised people to make fruit juices at home. The juice should be put in a sterilized glass bottle, stored in the refrigerator and should not be left for more than 24 hours.

In addition to the potential to cause poisoning, many food experts are also concerned that additional ingredients, such as syrups and jellies, may use chemical dyes. Long-term use can be harmful to the health of the user. Doctor Cuong said: "All kinds of chemicals and industrial colors are harmful to consumers' health, these substances have the ability to cause poisoning, even cancer for users. In addition, they can cause mental retardation, worsen hyperactivity in children or behavioral abnormalities, some of which can cause allergies. If people regularly use, high doses of industrial dyes, long-term will cause damage to the nervous system, liver failure, kidney failure, even cancer."

Sometimes I wonder, we all know that street food has a high risk of unsafety, why do business people still sell goods? The problem is, if there is demand, there will be supply, many people eat and drink street food with the mentality that they will die right away without fear. Therefore, the solution to ensure food safety for street food is the consciousness and actions of each person.