據齊魯晚報消息，近日一名兒童食用的手撕肉干零食碎渣掉落地面，吸引螞蟻群啃食，螞蟻吃后死亡。

A viral video showing ants dying after feeding on crumbs from a shredded meat snack marketed to children has sparked concern in China over additives used in processed snacks.

隨后該視頻引起了網友的廣泛關注，而涉事零食配料表顯示其含有乙基麥芽酚（增香劑）和亞硝酸鈉（防腐劑）。

資料顯示，乙基麥芽酚散發甜香吸引螞蟻，亞硝酸鈉則通過抑制細胞攜氧能力導致窒息死亡，兩者協同作用類似商業殺蟲餌劑原理。

而之所以螞蟻會死亡，是因為螞蟻體型微小（體重約5毫克），代謝速率快，對人類安全的添加劑劑量對螞蟻可能是致命的。

The product's ingredient list included ethyl maltol and sodium nitrite. Online discussions suggested the sweet-smelling additive may attract ants, while sodium nitrite could be harmful to insects because of their tiny size and rapid metabolic rates.

有人直言，螞蟻死亡不能直接推定零食對人類有毒。食品添加劑安全標準基于人體代謝設定，合規使用下對成人急性毒性風險低。例如亞硝酸鈉在肉制品中可抑制肉毒桿菌，合理用量有必要性。

更多的人則表示，部分零食可能存在添加劑超標或濫用，尤其雜牌產品。長期攝入高鹽、高添加劑的零食，可能加重兒童肝腎負擔，影響味覺發育（如依賴重口味）。

Some internet users stressed that the ants' deaths do not directly mean the snack is toxic to humans, noting that approved food additive standards are based on human metabolism and that sodium nitrite is commonly used in meat products within regulated limits.

Others, however, voiced concern over the possible excessive use of additives in some low-cost or lesser-known products, particularly given the potential health risks of long-term consumption by children.

專家提醒：螞蟻死亡雖不直接等同于對人劇毒，但此類高添加零食確實不適合兒童長期食用。兒童肝腎代謝功能尚未發育完全。如果長期、高頻地將此類“科技零食”當作日常補充，添加劑會在體內累積，增加肝腎負擔，并可能影響生長發育。

Experts said the incident should not be interpreted as evidence of severe toxicity to humans, but warned that children should avoid regularly consuming heavily processed snacks with high additive content, as their liver and kidney functions are developing.

市場監管部門曾多次通報部分熟肉干制品存在超范圍使用亞硝酸鈉的問題（熟肉干本不允許添加，但商家為了護色違規添加），如果發現購買的散裝或小品牌肉干顏色異常鮮紅、保質期過長，需高度警惕。

Chinese market regulators advised consumers to be cautious of unpackaged or small-brand meat snacks with unusually bright red coloring or excessively long shelf lives.

來源：齊魯晚報 羊城晚報 揚子晚報 中國青年報

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