Barbecue is the top choice for many people's late night snacks. In the "food" menu where everything can be grilled, in addition to ordinary baked goods such as lamb, chicken wings, and seafood, there are also various ingredients such as chicken feet, gluten, and crispy bones. Are these "non mainstream" ingredients that have been roasted and tempting safe and healthy? This issue of food safety consumption tips invites experts to interpret and help consumers eat with peace of mind and peace of mind. Gluten is a common ingredient in life. Whether it's a gluten block filled with juice in Liangpi or a baked gluten with spicy sauce on the barbecue stand, it's a delicious food that makes people salivate. However, many diners also have doubts about the origin and true nature of these delicious and flavorful foods? Gluten is really the "gluten" of flour, which is actually the backbone molecule of flour - protein - separated after removing water-soluble components, starch, and bran substances from flour. From this perspective, gluten, as its name suggests, is indeed the "gluten" of noodles. Professor Liu Shaowei, a member of the expert group of the Shanghai Food Safety Research Association, introduced in an interview with China Consumer News that flour is mainly composed of starch, protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals. The proteins in flour can be roughly divided into four types: gluten, gliadin (also known as gliadin), whey protein, and globulin. Among them, gliadin accounts for about 40% of the total protein content in flour, glutenin accounts for about 35%, and whey protein and globulin content are relatively low, accounting for about 10%. Traditional gluten making is to add cold water to the wheat flour to form a dough, and repeatedly turn and wash it in water. In this process, the starch interacts with each other to form a gel with a sticky and elastic sponge like network structure, which is gluten. Unlike this time-consuming and laborious manual separation method, most gluten is currently made by mixing gluten powder and water directly. Gluten flour was originally a byproduct of wheat starch production, with a light yellow color and a protein content of up to 75% -85%. It has good viscoelasticity, water adsorption, and biodegradability. It is also used as an excellent dough improver and an efficient green flour gluten enhancer, and is widely used in the production of bread, noodles, and instant noodles. Gluten flour is inexpensive and safe to consume, making it a nutritious plant protein. No matter which method is used to make gluten, its composition is roughly the same, and it is a flour "gluten" that contains little or no carbon water and is rich in protein. Which cooking method is healthier? The sponge like network structure of gluten is easy to adsorb and can be versatile with different flavors of food. The texture formed by its toughness makes gluten more likely to mimic the taste experience of meat compared to other plant protein foods. So, in some places, gluten is also referred to as "wheat meat". Liu Shaowei introduced that from a nutritional perspective, gluten is a high protein, low-fat, low sugar, and low calorie food. The protein content of gluten is higher than that of lean pork, chicken, eggs, and most soy products, and it also contains various trace elements such as calcium, iron, phosphorus, and potassium. Gluten can also help increase satiety, and vegetarians and those with weight control needs can consume it in moderation with a balanced diet. Raw gluten can be further processed by boiling, steaming, frying, drying, etc., and can be made into various specialty foods. For example, steamed gluten, which is fermented and steamed, has more honeycomb holes on its surface and more fluffy texture. It can be either small gluten cubes filled with sesame paste or chili oil in Liangpi and fermented skin, or the soul food in the local famous dish "Sixi Baked Gluten". Alternatively, the raw gluten can be pulled into small pieces and fried into oily gluten, with a golden and crispy outer skin and a loose and soft inner layer. It can be used as a filling for southern oily gluten stuffed meat, northern vegetarian buns, or the "same" (the other is beef) in "yellow braised two different". Steamed gluten is relatively healthier, while fried oily gluten has a fat content of up to 25% and calories of up to 492 kcal/100 grams. Although it has a better taste and is more appetizing, it should also be eaten less. As for the common grilled gluten in night market barbecue stalls or shops, it is uniformly made on the food production line. It is tightly rolled, cooked, cut, uniform in size, and shaped like a spring, with a significantly increased surface area that can hang as much sauce as possible. Liu Shaowei analyzed that generally speaking, the raw materials for roasted gluten are cooked semi-finished products. As long as attention is paid to controlling the time, the possibility of producing harmful substances such as benzopyrene and heterocyclic amines is relatively small. But after prolonged baking and yellowed gluten, it should be eaten as little as possible. What are the safety risks of eating gluten? A reporter from China Consumer Daily searched for sampling information from market regulatory authorities in the past three years and found that the overall quality of gluten and its products is safe and reliable. Some brands or distribution units have problems mainly due to inadequate production or storage environmental hygiene, resulting in excessive bacterial count. In addition, there are also individual products that use dehydroacetic acid and its sodium salts in violation of regulations to extend the shelf life of products. It is understood that dehydroacetic acid and its sodium salts are a broad-spectrum preservative in food production, which can effectively inhibit mold and yeast. According to the National Food Safety Standard for the Use of Food Additives (GB2760-2014), seasoning noodle products shall not use dehydroacetic acid and its sodium salts. Dehydroacetic acid and its sodium salts can be quickly and completely absorbed by human tissues. Long term consumption of foods with excessive levels of dehydroacetic acid and its sodium salts may cause certain harm to the human body. Liu Shaowei suggests that consumers go to regular supermarkets or restaurants to purchase and consume gluten foods, while also paying attention to controlling the frequency of consumption. Generally speaking, pre packaged gluten products have a relatively high sodium content, so when consuming gluten, it is advisable to pair it with dishes or staple foods that are low in salt and light. Although various types of gluten foods have rich flavors and pleasant mouthfeel, not everyone has the taste to enjoy. Liu Shaowei explained that gluten belongs to wheat gluten food, and for people who are sensitive to gluten, eating gluten may cause allergic reactions such as bloating, diarrhea, fatigue, abdominal pain, and specific dermatitis. Some individuals with gluten allergies may also experience symptoms such as hypotension, difficulty breathing, and systemic urticaria. In addition, although gluten is rich in protein, it is not a complete protein and lacks all the amino acids required by the human body. Therefore, when consuming gluten dishes, attention should be paid to a balanced diet and clever combinations to ensure that the body obtains the necessary nutrients and amino acids. (Lai Xin She)