Could the Viral Grilled Balut Actually Be Lethal?
A post has circulated claiming its hydrogen sulfide content makes it "toxic."
(SPOT.ph) Anyone who claims what ain't broke never needs to be fixed ought to give grilled balut—the char-grilled, chili sauce-topped take on the fertilized duck eggs that have been taking over our feeds in recent weeks—a chance. Fans of the street food were saddened, however, as a Facebook post recently trended arguing its toxicity. But how true are these claims? The Alpha chapter of the Philippine Association of Food Technologists cracks open (heh) the issue and shares the truth of the matter—with science.
Also read: Here's the Deal on the Grilled Balut You've Been Seeing on Social Media
People are talking about how the Pinoy street food grilled balut can be harmful to your health—or not:
The Philippine Association of Food Technologists (PAFT)-Alpha Chapter sheds some light on the topic in their own Facebook post. "While the explained science in the post is true, the conclusion was taken out of context," they write about the "misleading" Facebook post and the talks on the topic. Although hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is indeed a toxic gas "especially during exposure at moderate to high concentrations," the compound in this instance is "released in such small amounts"—so small that it "cannot pose any health risks."
"For additional context, the highest H2S concentration that can be produced by an egg is around 0.2 [parts per million] which happens when the egg is already rotten," the post continues. "Meanwhile, the allowable exposure limit for H2S is 20 parts per million (ppm)] and must reach a concentration of 100 ppm in order to cause dangerous effects on health and life."
PAFT goes on to explain how the H2S indeed goes inwards towards the egg yolk as the heating prolongs, given the decreased solubility of the egg white. Know that dark-greenish tinge you sometimes get from cooked eggs (boiled eggs especially)? That's iron sulfide, formed as the H2S reacts with the iron simultaneously released from the yolk during heating. Note, however, that this is "not considered detrimental to human health."
PAFT-Alpha is the sole food technology organization in UP Diliman, founded in 1965.
Their post comes after another one from a private Facebook user made the rounds online. This first post talks about the supposed toxicity of overcooked eggs—accompanied by a screenshot mentioning grilled balut. They then discuss how heating the eggs forms hydrogen sulphide (a “deadly gas”) as the sulphur in the egg white combines with hydrogen.
Read the full post on the Philippine Association of Food Technologists - Alpha Chapter's Facebook page.
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