Formalin is toxic and can cause cancer if used to create cigarette foam.

Recently, a video of a 40m long pipe-rolled intestines from a restaurant in Hanoi has been causing a storm in the online community regarding its authenticity.

According to many chefs, there is a type of "cigarette intestine" on the market that is created by soaking the small intestine in chemicals, including substances such as diluted formalin, hydrogen peroxide...

On the morning of May 6, speaking on the sidelines of the National Assembly session, Ms. Pham Khanh Phong Lan, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Food Safety, said that the sale of pipe intestines on the market is an act of commercial fraud to increase profits because this type of food is very rare.

The Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Food Safety said that the agency is conducting traceability checks and taking samples to test whether additives are detected.

The image of a 40m long, 5.8kg-weight tobacco-rolling intestine has been causing a stir in the online community recently (Photo: @the_se_dieu.)

Speaking with Dan Tri , Associate Professor Dr. Tran Hong Con, former lecturer at the Faculty of Chemistry, University of Science, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, emphasized that the use of chemicals, especially formalin, in food processing can be harmful to health.

According to Associate Professor Con, formalin (or formaldehyde) is a bactericide, anti-rot, anti-rancidity, known as a preservative chemical in laboratories.

"In some cases, formalin is used illegally to preserve food, helping to prevent spoilage and rotting. This is a very toxic substance, dangerous to human health," Associate Professor Con said.

According to the Ministry of Health, exposure to formaldehyde can cause irritation to the skin, eyes, and upper and lower respiratory tract.

When inhaled, formaldehyde vapor irritates the eyes, nose, and respiratory tract, causing laryngospasm. If a victim inhales a large amount of this gas, they may develop pneumonia and acute pulmonary edema.

Ingestion of formalin can cause acute gastritis and enteritis with symptoms of mouth pain, severe abdominal pain, vomiting, vomiting blood, hematuria, followed by oliguria (a decrease in the amount of urine in 24 hours), anuria (a condition where there is no urine in the bladder)...

Formalin if in contact with the skin can cause skin necrosis, allergies, dermatitis...

Meanwhile, hydrogen peroxide (or H2O2) is a very strong oxidizer, has good antiseptic properties, kills bacteria, and is often used as a solution to disinfect wounds.

In the process of making pipe intestines, hydrogen peroxide can be used to clean and prevent rancidity. In addition, this chemical can also make the circular muscles in the small intestine contract, forming a beautiful skin.

"Hydrogen peroxide decomposes very quickly into water and oxygen, leaving very little residue," Associate Professor Con emphasized.

The intestines of a pipe are a favorite dish of many people and have a very high price (illustrative photo).

Sharing the same opinion, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Duy Thinh, former lecturer at the Institute of Biotechnology and Food, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, said that using chemicals to "magically" create a cigarette core is very dangerous for health.

Associate Professor Thinh noted that people are allowed to use hydrogen peroxide in food at very small concentrations, and are not allowed to soak it in high doses or for long periods of time because it can cause diseases related to the intestinal tract.

In particular, soaking food in formalin to prolong its shelf life is very dangerous, because this is a substance prohibited from use in food processing.

Formalin is highly toxic. When swallowed, it can cause severe abdominal pain, vomiting, acute gastritis and enteritis, and over time can cause cancer.

According to Associate Professor Thinh, to avoid causing panic and ensure people's health, market management and food safety agencies need to trace the origin and identify toxic preservatives (if any) so that sellers and consumers can feel secure.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/suc-khoe/formol-la-chat-doc-neu-dung-de-tao-long-se-dieu-co-the-gay-ung-thu-20250506155042515.htm