After the poisoning of 6 Vietnamese people in Thailand, the community and public opinion have raised concerns about a poison called Cyanide. This article will help you learn more about this extremely toxic substance.
Cyanide – an invisible poison
Have you ever wondered how to detect cyanide in food or drink? Unfortunately, the answer is: With the naked eye, we cannot detect the presence of cyanide..
Does cyanide taste like anything?
Cyanide is often described as having a slightly bitter odor, similar to that of almonds. However, not everyone can perceive this smell, because each person's ability to perceive taste is different.
Odor is not a reliable indicator of cyanide. Many people cannot smell this odor, or may confuse it with another odor.
Cyanide is usually colorless.
Cyanide does not typically have a characteristic color. It can exist in gas, liquid, or solid form, and in most cases it will be colorless.
Because cyanide is colorless and has a very subtle taste and smell, detecting its presence in food or drink is extremely difficult. This makes cyanide a very dangerous poison, because you can accidentally consume it without even knowing it.
Natural Foods Containing Cyanide
Many plants produce cyanide-containing compounds as a defense mechanism against pests. When these plants are damaged, these compounds can release cyanide. Foods that commonly contain cyanide include bamboo shoots, cassava, apple seeds, butterfly pea leaves, etc.
Warning signs of suspected cyanide poisoning
Although cyanide cannot be detected by the senses, you can recognize symptoms of cyanide poisoning such as:
- Respiration: Difficulty breathing, rapid breathing, shortness of breath.
- Cardiovascular: Rapid heartbeat, sudden increase or decrease in blood pressure.
- Nerve: Headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, convulsions, loss of consciousness.
- Other: Bitter taste in mouth, bitter almond smell (not everyone can perceive this smell).
What to do if you suspect cyanide poisoning?
If you suspect that you or someone else has ingested food or drink containing cyanide, take the following steps immediately:
- Call emergency: Contact emergency center 115 immediately or take the victim to the nearest medical facility.
- Do not self-medicate: Avoid self-medication or improper first aid measures.
- Provide information to the doctor: Tell the doctor in detail what happened, what symptoms appeared, and what foods or drinks the victim ate or drank.
Prevention of cyanide poisoning
- Choose safe food: Buy food at reputable establishments, check the expiry date and origin carefully.
- Processing: Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly before processing, especially vegetables with high natural cyanide content such as bamboo shoots and cassava.
- Do not prepare strange foods on your own: Avoid arbitrarily preparing foods of unknown origin or without knowing how to prepare them.
Cyanide is a dangerous and difficult to detect poison. To protect the health of yourself and your family, we need to improve our knowledge about this poison and take necessary precautions. To limit food poisoning, you need to Choose a reputable supplier.