Shrimp skin can easily cause cancer if left for a long time

Many of us like to add dried shrimps when making soup, mainly because it can help make the soup more delicious and it can also effectively help us supplement calcium. The newly bought dried shrimps are generally white and have no obvious ammonia smell. But after being kept at home for a month or two, the color turned pink and the ammonia smell of the dried shrimp was very strong. In fact, this is because it has been stored for a long time. Studies have shown that dried shrimps can cause cancer if stored for a long time.

Shrimp skin can be preserved for a long time. The main antibacterial factors are its low water content and high salt content. Both are indispensable. However, the dried shrimps people usually buy are generally not completely dry. There are two main reasons for this. On the one hand, it may be because the air at the seaside is humid. On the other hand, it may be because the dried shrimps that are not dry are heavier and have greater profits. This kind of shrimp skin that has not been completely dried is particularly prone to breeding bacteria because of its high protein content.

If stored at room temperature, the protein will be transformed into peptides and amino acids through the action of microorganisms, and then decomposed into low-level amines and ammonia. The low-level amines are the source of the fishy smell, and the ammonia is the source of the irritating taste.

Low-level amines are not only toxic in themselves, but what’s worse is that they can easily combine with small amounts of nitrite in aquatic products to form strong carcinogens - nitrosamines. This type of substance is an important chemical factor that promotes the incidence of esophageal cancer and gastric cancer. Nitrosamines are extremely toxic and have chronic toxicity, teratogenicity and carcinogenicity. It is also volatile and can cause toxic reactions if inhaled from the air.

Various seafood and meat products are important sources of nitrosamines. Stale pickled fish, pickled meat, dried shrimp, dried shrimp, shredded squid, scallops, dried fish, etc. may all exceed the standard. Therefore, once the dried shrimps have an odor, don’t feel sorry for it, but throw it away resolutely. Even after washing, you can't rest assured.

It is recommended that you store the dried shrimps in the refrigerator immediately after purchase, and put them back in the refrigerator after use. This can greatly slow down the decomposition of protein and maintain normal taste within two to three months, thus reducing the risk of producing carcinogens.

From our introduction above, we know that it is better not to buy a lot of dried shrimps each time, and the daily intake of dried shrimps is only two or three grams, which is not the main way to supplement calcium.