According to Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Duy Thinh, former lecturer at Hanoi University of Science and Technology, borax was once commonly used in the food industry thanks to its ability to preserve food, helping it stay fresh longer, preventing spoilage and making food tough and crispy. In the past, many people often added borax to rice cakes to increase hardness, or used it in rice rolls and vermicelli to improve texture and flavor.

However, according to scientific research, borax is a toxic chemical that can have negative effects on health if consumed for a long time, especially at risk of memory loss and affecting the nervous system. Realizing this, Vietnam has issued a ban on the use of borax in food processing in all forms. However, in reality, some food production facilities still secretly use borax to increase the crispiness and toughness of ham, sausage and many other foods.

In fact, some food production facilities still secretly use borax to increase the crispiness and toughness of ham, sausage and many other foods.

How to identify ham and sausage containing borax

Based on taste

Clean ham has a natural aroma, a sweet taste and leaves a light aftertaste after eating. When chewed, the ham has a soft texture, not dry or crumbly.

If the ham has an overly strong aroma or an unusually chewy taste, it may have been treated with borax or other additives.

Sensory testing

When pressing on the ham, if it feels too hard, has no elasticity or is difficult to sink, it may contain borax.

View of the inside after slicing

Clean ham often has small holes created by the steaming process, while ham with borax is often unusually smooth, without air holes.

If you gently pull the two ends of the ham and it feels too tough and difficult to tear, the ham may have been mixed with borax.

If you gently pull the two ends of the ham slice and it feels too tough and difficult to tear, the ham may have been mixed with borax.

Use a knife to cut

Ham without borax will be slightly sticky when cut, the knife will be slightly stuck to the surface of the ham.

Borax-coated ham is easier to cut, the knife glides quickly and smoothly due to the unusually smooth surface.

Test with turmeric paper

Use turmeric paper (paper soaked in fresh turmeric juice and then dried) to gently press on the surface of the ham. If after about a minute, the paper changes from yellow to orange-red, it proves that the ham contains borax. Note that this method is only qualitative and cannot determine the specific amount of borax.

Choose safe food

To avoid buying ham containing borax, consumers should choose products from reputable establishments that have been clearly inspected for food safety. Clean ham production establishments often publicly commit to not using borax and harmful additives, ensuring the health of consumers.