Is it true that insulated lunch boxes with rice cause cancer?

The previous Weibo, “Bringing a meal at noon to become a cause of stomach cancer among young white-collar workers” was widely reposted. Roughly speaking, the nitrate contained in cooked dishes will be reduced to carcinogen nitrite during the storage process. Eating this kind of food will cause stomach cancer, so don't bring your own food in an insulated lunch box. This kind of statement really made the majority of food-bearers feel surprised, just want to eat a meal honestly, how can they still get cancer?

But you can’t blindly believe it. Let’s see if this is the case. First, let’s take a look at the carcinogen nitrite. After the fried vegetables are stored for a period of time, the nitrite will increase gradually, but it will not reach it. The amount harmful to health. Specifically, nitrate in vegetables can be converted into nitrite under the action of nitrate-reducing bacteria during storage. The higher the nitrate content, the more nitrite is formed by vegetables. However, some studies have tested the nitrite content of spinach, water spinach and rapeseed after being cooked and stored in cold storage for 12 to 24 hours, respectively: 12-15 mg/kg, 9-10 mg/kg, 7.5-10.5 mg/kg, It is much lower than the limit (20 mg/kg) for nitrite in many preserved foods in the national standard. Therefore, don't treat nitrite as a poisonous monster, it will only cause harm to the human body when it is overdose and stored for too long.

Let’s take a look at the heat-preserving insulated lunch box for rice. I just mentioned that nitrate can only cause harm to the human body when it is converted into nitrite. How can nitrate be converted into nitrite? The answer is heating. Generally speaking, the heat preservation time of an insulated lunch box can be up to 12 hours. The rice that has just been made can be placed in the insulated lunch box at about 60 degrees Celsius after 6 hours. It is still warm for 12 hours. It can basically meet our needs. Reheating is relatively healthier.