A method for detecting gutter oil has been developed! The world of martial arts finally has \"rules\"...

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Recently, the development of the \"used cooking oil detection method\" that won first place in the Shanxi Province Public Security Innovation Competition has put an end to the situation where there were no standards or effective methods for detecting such oil, thereby significantly advancing efforts to combat its use. At the same time, the province has also become two powerful tools for combating illegal cooking oil, both through legislation and at the source. “The “used cooking oil detection method” takes the top spot among seasonings! All used cooking oil is produced on a large scale, and its main sources are kitchen waste oils from dishes such as hot pot, boiled fish, and spicy hot pots. “If flavorings can be detected in edible oils, then wouldn’t that allow us to deal a fatal blow to substandard oil?” A single sentence from a friend gave Ren Fei, a technical police officer from the Physical Chemistry Squad of Taiyuan City’s Criminal Investigation Brigade, an epiphany. After eight years of effort and hundreds of experiments, Ren Fei finally identified capsaicin among more than a dozen spices. 　　It turns out that capsaicin remains \"faithful\" to used cooking oil; neither washing, adsorption with soil, vacuum treatment, nor high temperatures can separate them. Even if there is one femtogram of capsaicin in the oil, that is one hundred trillionth of a gram, it can be detected by the instruments. Using this method to test gutter oil eliminates geographical restrictions; it is simple and easy to operate, and can be carried out in regular criminal technology laboratories by the police. Results are available within half an hour, which is very helpful for police officers in handling cases. 　　Subsequently, this method passed multiple blind tests for gutter oil organized by the Food Risk Assessment Center, with no false positives detected, and the positive detection rate exceeded 80%. Ultimately, this testing method stood out among 315 methods for detecting gutter oil submitted by 281 research institutions and individuals; it was selected as one of the four methods for detecting gutter oil and was promoted for use by 11 ministries and commissions, including the Ministry of Public Security, the Quality Supervision Bureau, and the State Administration for Industry and Commerce. Putting an end to the history of no standards for detecting gutter oil The difficulty in detecting gutter oil has posed a significant obstacle for law enforcement agencies. In 2011, media reports indicated that due to the underdeveloped technologies available for detecting gutter oil at that time, the industry and commerce authorities found themselves in a difficult situation: they were afraid to conduct inspections. As a result, accurate testing was not possible, and it was extremely hard to achieve the ideal goal of neither condemning good-quality oil nor failing to identify poor-quality oil. 　　Before 2011, there were no unified standards for testing gutter oil in the country. 　 In December 2011, the Ministry of Health solicited suggestions from the public regarding testing methods for \"gutter oil,\" and received a total of 762 proposals concerning testing methods or indicators. Among them, 281 entities and individuals submitted 315 methods for testing gutter oil. In May 2012, 4 instrumental methods and 3 rapid field-test methods were initially identified. However, the results were disappointing; experts said that even when the seven initially identified testing methods are used together, it is not certain that they can detect illegal cooking oil. “We were also very troubled by the fact that there had been no methods for detecting gutter oil; after all, gutter oil isn’t a product, so problems inevitably arise when it comes to testing it. ”　　Although this decisive action against illegal cooking oil has been taken, the fight against it is far from over. Experts say that due to the numerous stages in the illegal oil industry chain and the involvement of multiple law enforcement agencies, individual efforts do not yield significant results. Due to the lack of accurate data and thorough investigations, it is inevitable that scattered illegal cooking oil production sites face the awkward situation of incomplete crackdowns. To completely eliminate used cooking oil, it is essential to step up efforts at the legislative and enforcement levels. Yet what is even more important is to address the issue at its source. The construction and operation of waste food processing plants represent a good starting point; taking this as an opportunity, all relevant departments should work together to eradicate used cooking oil entirely. 　Further reading: 4 ways to detect gutter oil I. Check transparency Pure vegetable oil is transparent; however, its transparency decreases during production due to the inclusion of alkaline fats, waxes, impurities, and other substances ； In terms of color, pure oil is colorless; the oil gains color during the production process as pigments present in the raw materials dissolve into the oil ； Looking at the precipitate, its main component are impurities. 　　II. Smelling the aroma 　　Each type of oil has its own unique scent. You can drop one or two drops of oil on the palm, bring the hands together and rub them; once they become warm, smell them carefully. Oil with an unusual odor indicates a quality issue; oil that has a foul smell is likely to be gutter oil, and it should definitely not be purchased if it has the scent of mineral oil. 　　III. Taste it Use chopsticks to pick up a drop of oil and carefully taste its flavor. Oil with an acidic taste is an inferior product; oil with a burnt, bitter taste has gone rancid, and oil with an unusual odor may be gutter oil. 　　IV. Listen to the sound when burning Take one or two drops of oil from the bottom of the oil layer, apply it to a flammable piece of paper, light it, and listen to the sound it makes. A product that burns normally without any noise is a qualified product ； Those that burn abnormally and make a \"squeaking\" sound, as well as those with excessive moisture content, are defective products ； The \"popping\" sound during combustion indicates that the water content in the oil is far above the acceptable level; it may also be a counterfeit product, and it must not be purchased under any circumstances. 　　It is almost impossible to completely avoid waste oil, so we can only use certain methods to minimize its harm to us. 　　I. Control intake: According to the Chinese Dietary Guidelines, each adult should consume around 25 grams of cooking oil per day. Maintaining this amount ensures, on the one hand, that there is no excessive intake of fat, and on the other hand, it meets the body’s basic needs for fatty acids. A practical way to visualize 25 grams of oil is about two and a half teaspoons using a small white porcelain spoon. 　　II. Regular oil replacement Different cooking oils are composed of different fatty acids. However, due to the dietary habits of some families, they always choose to purchase one specific type of cooking oil. When making purchases, it’s a good idea to pay attention to discounted fuels based on your own needs; this way, you can not only get affordable products but also use different types of fuel, achieving two benefits at once.