Fake green peas

A friend sent me an interesting article.

Green peas are green rounded pea seeds that are sweet and starchy in taste. Green peas contains twice the protein of most vegetables, so they are a healthy substitute for meat. Three-quarter cup of peas provides 6 grams of protein, plus thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium and 645 units of vitamin A.

Unfortunately there are food industries in certain nations cheating customers with fake greens peas which are prepared from toxic chemicals (dyes). These industries prepared the green peas from brown peas (cheaper) by soaking them in dye solutions overnight.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Identification of fake green peas:

1. Put the peas in boiling water for 30 seconds, water turns to green color.
2. After consumption check your tongue for green color stains.  There is also a slight bitter aftertaste.


Symptoms:

1. Stomach irritation, pain or acidity.

2. Urine turns to light green color.
3. Mild headache.


Case study:

Initially, I was not aware of these things. After eating some green peas I experienced stomach pain and found my tongue having green stains.

The following packet bought from Tesco, Penang on 4th July 2010.

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

As a chemist by profession, I did an analysis of above mentioned peas in laboratory and discovered green dyes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

News paper reference:

China daily http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2010-03/31/content_9664992.htm


D. Bharath Reddy
Research scholar
Centre for drug research
USM, Pulau Penang
Malaysia 11800.

What do you think?  Is there any truth to this?  The newspaper article in the China Daily seems to authenticate the findings.  I love eating the green peas that you can buy from the shops, but this article makes me re-think before eating them.

Celia Lee