Discover the Top 10 Foods to Limit during Tet for Optimal Health

As the Lunar New Year approaches, the production facilities for Tet candies become increasingly bustling, offering a wide variety of visually appealing choices. The spread of Tet candies for worship and hospitality is a feast for the eyes. However, concerns about food safety arise, posing a daily threat to public health.

You might not be aware that numerous reports have exposed the dirty practices of some contaminated Tet candy manufacturers. These candies are exposed to filthy environments, sometimes even mixed with animal feces. In many facilities, flies and fleas find their way into the candy cauldrons... Just the thought is enough to induce fear.

Therefore, to ensure a healthy Tet celebration, opt for carefully packaged candies with clear labels and expiration dates from reputable brands. Avoid purchasing items with unclear origins or those originating from China, as they may pose significant health risks to your entire family.

As the Lunar New Year approaches, the demand for fresh fruits surges dramatically. However, this becomes a fertile ground for those vendors who sell questionable produce on the streets, promising fruits that stay 'fresh forever'. These items always appear visually appealing and, notably, come at a cheap price. Quite tempting, isn't it?

The secret behind fruits that seem to defy aging lies in the fact that many consumers buy fruits from China, where plant protection chemicals are used to keep fruits looking fresh for a prolonged period. Therefore, one must exercise caution when dealing with these 'mysterious' fruits with unknown origins. The presence of thiram and melarsoprol in some chemically treated fruits does not dissolve completely in water, making them hazardous to consumers, no matter how thoroughly they are washed.

For the sake of your health, it's crucial to be selective before making a purchase, especially when it comes to out-of-season fruits, those with uncertain origins, and particularly those labeled as 'cheap,' as these could pose a threat to your family's well-being.

It's a common sight during Tet that every household has a plate of pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds for a delightful snack. However, behind the term 'delightful snack' lies a considerable danger to food safety that is causing much concern.

For instance, many producers have used 'sút,' an extremely toxic substance, to bleach and clean pumpkin and sunflower seeds. Subsequently, they use Rhodamine B, a chemical found in fabric dye, to ensure the seeds retain their vibrant color. This chemical not only permeates the outer layer but also seeps into the interior. Once it enters the human body, it can damage the liver and kidneys, gradually increasing the risk of cancer. On a milder note, it can cause allergies and red rashes on the skin...

Therefore, when choosing, it's advisable to avoid colorful seeds. Another tip is that seeds treated with Rhodamine B will glow under ultraviolet light.

Beer and liquor are indispensable beverages, especially for men during the Tet festival. However, counterfeit beer and liquor seize every opportunity to infiltrate the market for profit, resulting in serious health repercussions. For instance, on Tet days, the incidence of alcohol poisoning is notably high. The sharp increase is attributed to people consuming excessive amounts of alcohol, particularly from sources with unclear origins.

In other cases, individuals have tragically lost their lives after consuming alcohol mixed with industrial alcohol. Common alcohol addiction-related illnesses such as mental disorders, hallucinations, and early-stage liver damage are prevalent. To enhance business profits, some even add pesticides to the alcohol to make it more concentrated after distillation. While not immediately fatal, this practice leads to cardiovascular complications, impacting the health of consumers. Therefore, exercise caution with your beer and liquor.

During the Tet holiday, the demand for cakes and sweets skyrockets, creating a convenient opportunity for counterfeit products to infiltrate the market and reach consumers. Counterfeit items often have packaging that closely resembles genuine products, with ingredients recycled from sweet flour or rock powder...

Consuming these fake sweets over an extended period not only leads to intestinal blockage but also has severe health consequences. Counterfeit cakes and sweets often boast vibrant colors and mimic the authentic packaging, making it challenging for consumers to differentiate, especially in rural areas where they quickly sell out.

Chung Cake and Tet Cake are indispensable traditional Vietnamese treats during the Tet holiday. From ancestral altars to Tet offerings and everyday meals, these cakes play a significant role in festive celebrations. Made from ingredients sourced from farmers, such as glutinous rice, mung beans, pork, and various spices, the cakes are wrapped in dong leaves to form their distinctive shape.

After wrapping, the cakes are typically boiled for about 8 hours, ensuring they remain submerged and continuously boiling. While homemade cakes offer peace of mind regarding quality, purchasing them outside requires careful consideration to avoid low-quality products. In reality, for the sake of profit, some are willing to use contaminated ingredients to wrap and boil the cakes quickly with lead. Consuming such 'contaminated' cakes can be detrimental to health.

Carbonated drinks are also a commonly consumed beverage during the Tet holiday, especially favored by children. However, the current market is flooded with various bottled carbonated beverages mimicking famous brands in terms of bottle or can shapes but lacking quality assurance.

When purchasing beverages for your family, it's essential to thoroughly research each type to avoid counterfeit, imitation, or low-quality products. Consuming these products of uncertain origin may lead to digestive disorders, food poisoning, or potentially pose a long-term risk of cancer.

During the festive season, people often indulge in unrestrained eating, lacking moderation. Moreover, many dishes during the Tet holiday are high in fat content, so excessive consumption can impact both health and weight. Among them, pickled vegetables, pickled radishes, and sour dishes are distinctive Tet dishes that, if not consumed properly, can be detrimental to health.

The composition of pickled dishes includes a significant amount of acid, making it unsuitable for individuals with gastric ulcers. Additionally, pickled vegetables contain salty and spicy seasonings that can elevate body temperature, posing a disadvantageous risk to the health of individuals with heart disease, liver issues, or high blood pressure. Furthermore, pickled vegetables can induce feelings of fullness and nausea, particularly in pregnant women.

During Tet, the demand for various fresh vegetables and fruits such as corn, cabbage, curly kale, lettuce, cilantro, carrots, winter melon, various beans, and tomatoes increases for cooking and decorating the festive table. However, selecting fresh vegetables and fruits requires extreme caution to avoid unsafe purchases.

Fresh vegetables and fruits are sold in various markets and even street vendors, making it challenging to control their origin and quality. Unluckily buying vegetables that are not clean, meaning they have been sprayed with stimulants, pesticides, plant protection chemicals, or preservatives, can lead to food poisoning and, over time, pose a risk of cancer.

Marine creatures with shells like oysters can cause food poisoning. Live ingredients pose a risk of contamination with microorganisms that can lead to gastrointestinal diseases such as dysentery, diarrhea, typhoid, and parasites. Therefore, it's advisable to avoid raw oysters and all other types of live shellfish, as they can make you seriously ill and ruin your Tet holiday.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States, some live shellfish, including oysters, clams, and mussels, carry the risk of vibriosis - a bacterial infection that can lead to death. Oysters raised in unsanitary conditions or subjected to unhygienic processing may be contaminated with Vibro bacteria, posing a risk of fatality to consumers.