Bubble Tea Can Cause Cancer?

Bubble Tea Can Cause Cancer?

Black balls the size of small marbles in the so-called bubble tea tapioca pearl or boba. Elastic texture make the drink more palatable. However, boba is rumored to contain non-food ingredients that can cause cancer. Really?

Bubble tea was first made in the 1980's in Taiwan. Over time, this drink is popular in East and Southeast Asia, including Indonesia. Despite long-standing drink bubble here, his fame back up because the presence of some bubble tea franchise from Taiwan. The queue was never lonely. Most fans are teenagers and children.

Bubble tea trend is also starting to spread to North America and Europe, one of which is Germany. However, a recent New York Post launched a shocking news. German health authorities banned the Taiwanese bubble tea because it can make the child choke and contain cancer-causing chemicals.

Researchers from the University Hospital Aachen, Germany, took samples of bubble tea a brand franchise in Monchengladbach, Germany. Pearlnya Tapioca comes from Taiwan. After investigation, boba contains polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), such as styrene, Acetophenone, and brominate substances. PCB is a non-food materials and can cause cancer.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) United States, PCBs also cause non-cancer diseases in animals. These substances can cause disturbances in the immune system, reproductive, nervous, endocrine, and other health effects on the body. Typically, PCBs are used as coolants and lubricants for various electronic devices.

German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment also issued a warning about the dangers of choking boba in children aged less than 4 years. "There is a risk of foreign objects accidentally enter the lungs when sucking boba," said Dr. Andreas Hensel. However, until now there has been no reports of incidents related to bubble tea.