Cook food in the dishwasher – in a closed jar – to take advantage of the heat of the water. Ask for a rare burger because it is juicier and better. Submit to a food intolerance test to see if any food is harming us. Snack on gelatin because it has protein and is very healthy. Make a stew with enough alcohol because everything evaporates. True or false?
Fake.
Spain gets an A in food safety, but many hoaxes and myths without scientific support still reign in kitchens.
Doctor in Food Science and Technology, Miguel Ángel Lurueña, remembers that Spain has gained a lot in terms of food safety. A generation ago, we failed but now we get a remarkable high. Even an outstanding one. However, the disseminator remembers that where we do not come out well is in the Rigorous culinary information. They abound hoaxes, myths and half-truthssuch as diets with their own name or eccentricities of any ‘influencer’. Let’s go in parts.
Put some vegetables in a covered jar and cook it taking advantage of the dishwasher steam while washing dirty dishes is “a seamless plan for something to go wrong,” explains Lurueña, who highlights that it is an absurd and very risky fashion. “The jar may not seal tightly. Bacteria may enter from the dirt on the dishes. Plus, we don’t control the temperature,” she insists.
Known in networks as oil gummiesLurueña has just published the essay ‘From grocery stores to hypermarkets’ (Destino), where he takes an emotional journey through the flavors and culinary customs of the EGB generation, from the chocolate cigarettes (which were not banned until 2006) to the famous slogan ‘go donuts!’ or the catchy song about the ingredients in the nut, ignoring, of course, the kilos of fat.
The expert highlights that in 2023 we know much more about nutrition, but we still have gaps. The lack of rigorous information leads many people, for example, to undergo a food intolerance test (not to be confused with allergy) in a herbalist. “A perfect scam,” he points out. Allergies influence the immune system and put our lives at risk. Intolerances, no. They only cause discomfort.
“Digestive disorders are difficult to diagnose. When a person feels unwell, they go to a supposedly health store and undergo a test. A little machine tells them which foods – from a list of 200 – they should avoid. And all this for 75 euros. Their reliability is zero. They have no basis or scientific support. It is dangerous because, in addition, it can prevent the person from going to the person they really should go to, their doctor,” he criticizes.
The burgers, always well done
Another absurd trend is that of restaurants that offer customers rare, medium or rare burgers. Pathogenic bacteria are on the surface of the meat, which are destroyed when we grill a steak. Hence, a sirloin, for example, can be eaten with the inside rare. However, remember the food technologist, when we chop the meat, the bacteria spread throughout the piece, also inside. Hence, it is a risk to eat an undercooked hamburger. What are we risking? From gastroenteritis to more serious things.
Gelatin, a giant gummy
Lurueña remembers all those fathers and mothers who buy – or make at home – jelly your children thinking it is a healthy dessert, they are actually giving them a “giant jelly bean” full of sugar (or sweetener), aromas and colorings. “Many people buy them thinking that they are great because of their high protein content. This is not true. They have collagen, but their amino acids lack nutritional value,” he explains.
To those same fathers and mothers who they cook stews with alcohol Thinking that it evaporates with cooking, Lurueña also corrects them from their mistake. It all depends on the type of alcohol, the amount, the temperature and the cooking time, but the truth is that the alcohol does not evaporate completely. “If we add a glass of wine to a stew and boil it for five minutes, at the end of the process only a little will have evaporated. 0.9% of the alcohol and eight grams will remain in the stew”, he points out. The risk is not important since the stew is distributed among several diners, but Lurueña insists on caution and remembers that, in any case, it is always better to add a quarter of a glass than a whole glass of wine to any stew.
The best oil for frying
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For frying, the best oil is the olive one (without last names). Virgin and extra virgin are also good options, but taking into account their very high price, they are still a waste since the nutritional virtues of the product are ruined by high temperatures. Lurueña remembers that sunflower is used a lot, but it is not the best idea either given its content in polyunsaturated fatty acids.
The scientific communicator warns that there is no healthy pastry (not even homemade, in which better ingredients can be used but it is still pastry), although he emphasizes that sometimes, and occasionally, you can also eat it for enjoyment, not for nutrition. “We shouldn’t feel guilty for eating a piece of cake. The obsession with healthy eating is also a problem,” she concludes.