Good Lifestyle

Brazilians often have a relationship of love and hatred with hot dog sausage, as this is an affordable price food, but it cannot be consumed in excess because of some factors, such as its high sodium content.

In addition, you may have heard about the possibility of sausage causing cancer, or even the production procedure with meat bones and remains, for example. But, is this true? Next, check out some myths and truths about the sausage you might not know.

The sausage is made with meat remains (depends)

The raw material of the sausage is mainly mechanically separate meat, or CMS. This meat is usually pork or birds, and is extracted from animal bones by machines. However, there are rules established by the Mapa (Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply) and Anvisa (National Health Surveillance Agency) for the use of CMS in the sausage. For example, legislation only allows 60% of CMS in mixed sausages and 40% in chicken sausages.

The composition of the sausage may vary considerably depending on the brand and the type of sausage, so it is important to read the list of ingredients before buying. For example, the “Vienna” sausage is considered the purest, as it usually contains only beef.

Contains pieces of bones (myth)

The sausage has no bone pieces, as they are separated by machines before meat processing. After cutting the meat, they are transformed into a homogeneous bran in the same step where other ingredients such as starch and salt are added.

Has chemical additives (true)

Chemical additives are really present in sausages, and one of the most common is a preservative called sodium nitrite, which gives the pink food color. Also added to the mixture can be added to sodium pyrophosphate stabilizer, the antioxidant sodium erytorbate and other natural dyes.

When the sausage swells is because it is spoiled (myth)

In some regions of Brazil, it is said that when the sausage swells, it is damaged. This is just a myth, although there is a recommendation that the sausage is needed before consumption to eliminate microorganisms, which causes this swelling. In addition to the absorption of water by food, swelling can also be caused by increased collagen protein caused by boiling.

Can cause cancer (truth)

Processed meats in general, such as bacon, ham, hamburger and - yes - sausages have a direct relationship with cancer, more precisely with colorectal cancer. Sausage, like other ultra -processed foods, are classified as carcinogenic by the World Health Organization in the same category as cigarettes and asbestos.

“Processed meat refers to meat that was transformed by salting, healing, fermentation, smoking or other processes to enhance taste or improve preservation,” explains WHO. The hot dog sausage, for example, has plenty of sodium, preservatives and artificial ingredients, which makes it fit into the category of carcinogenic foods.

Your enclosure is made of plastic (myth)

Generally, the wrapping used in sausages is edible and made of organic matter, not plastic as many think. Some materials commonly used for this are pulp guts, animal intestines or collagen. Some brands do not sell sausages with wrappers - instead they cook the meat in a plastic or artificial enclosure and remove it before selling.

So if you love to eat sausage, now you know what is true and what is a lie about this food.

“Sausage is an ultra -processed, but provides a large amount of proteins. This can contribute to reduce caloric malnutrition. However, it is important to remember that it is necessary to consume in moderation and this food should be part of a balanced diet so as not to be harmful to the body, ”explains Paulo Henkin, director of Abran (Brazilian Nutrology Association).