A SHENZHEN hospital recently received a patient with purple skin, a headache, exhaustion, and breathing difficulties. He was suffering from nitrite poisoning.

The man, in his 20s, was the 13th nitrite poisoning case Beijing University Shenzhen Hospital has dealt with in one month. Most of them were caused by eating pickles, a popular food often used in fish hotpot.

Eating too many pickles can be fatal because they contain a lot of nitrate, which will be turned to nitrite by intestinal bacteria, doctors say. Pickles are most dangerous if eaten when they have been perserved for five to eight days when the nitrite content reaches a maximum level. If they have been perserved longer, they are safer to eat, say doctors.

Though doctors often warn against eating bacteria, people should be more wary of eating poison, which is more dangerous than ordinary bacteria.

For example, this year, balloonfish -- a potentially toxic dish considered a delicacy in Japan and China -- has killed at least two people in Hainan Province and poisoned more than 10 in Shenzhen and Guangzhou.

Pesticides pose a major threat to human life, too, because they are frequently used on farmlands and orchards and unless they are washed or peeled away they are likely to find their way to the dining table. Storage and cooking are other ways to make produce safer to eat.

To wash away pesticides, you need soap and clean running water. Cleanser and salt water are ineffective, and soaking the vegetables in clean water for long time doesn't help, either.

When washing vegetables and fruits, be careful to scrub their tops and bottoms, where pesticides are likely to gather.

For most fruits and vegetables such as cucumbers, carrots, and wax gourds, peeling is a good way to eliminate pesticides. However, before peeling, it's good to wash them in order to avoid pesticide residue clinging to your hands.

For produce that doesn't easily spoil, long-term storage is another cleansing solution. This is because pesticides can decompose into nontoxic materials if exposed to air for long time. For example, if not peeled, wax gourds should be stored for 10-15 days before eating.

Cooking can also eliminate pesticides. Most pesticides will evaporate or decompose when exposed to extreme heat. As such, authorities advise that pots be uncovered when cooking vegetables.

 
Editor: Wings