Is Smoked Tofu Safe?

[Redveg993]

I really love smoked tofu and regularly buy a brand with a really dark 'crust' and robustly coloured interior. It is really delicious. However, I'm very concerned at reports about the carcinogenicity of other smoked foods, which are all of animal origin. Of course, as a vegan, I do not eat these, but it leads me to wonder if there is a problem with the process of smoking food, regardless of its origin (e.g. animal or plant). Is there anyone out there with reliable information on this?

[Jippia]

I have no idea and I admit that I have never even wondered about that. Perhaps others here know more.

[gogs67]

Being no help whatsoever here but i glanced at the thread title and thought it said 'Is Smoking Tofu safe?'
Had to open the thread and see WTF it was all about!

[Frank]

I made inquiries in relation to tofu and one response back was in relation to smoked tofu.

So to start the ball rolling:

''thank you for your e-mail and let having us the opportunity to give you our feedback to this delicate subject.

First of all, we only produce tofu in a traditional way. That means using whole soybeans which get soaked, pre-sprouted and ground with fresh water. After separating the milk from the okara (fibres) we coagulate only with nigari (a Japanese sea water extract) and the natural mineral calcium sulphate.

In our smoked tofu we use traditionally fermented soy sauce. The beech wood smoke is been produced by fractioning the wood. The smoke gets through a filter and finally on the tofu. This procedure is known as the most pure available on the market. There can not be found any unpleasant compounds in the product as benzo-a-pyrene.

If you have further questions please do not hesitate contacting me again.

Best regards

Stefan Hauck
Teamleiter Qualität & Entwicklung
Manager Quality & Development
Taifun''


Okay the statement:

''There can not be found any unpleasant compounds in the product as benzo-a-pyrene.''

...may mean that benzo-a-pyrene may be out there is some smoked foods? We need someone in the know on that. Otherwise the manufacturer in this specific case is stating its just not there.

Benzo-a-pyrene is a yellow, crystalline, aromatic hydrocarbon, C20H12, that is a carcinogen found in coal tar and cigarette smoke.

[miss-fit]

It is the smoking processes that makes it bad for you,sadly smoked tofu is bad for you, I think it's okey in modiration though.

[Pob]

If they use smoke flavouring it's likely to be less bad, than if they actually smoke it, from what I can tell.

There is some control over what smoke constituents are contained in liquid smoke, which isn't possible if you use a real smoking process.

From Wikipedia:

However, the foods themselves are not necessarily carcinogenic, even if they contain trace amounts of carcinogens, because the gastrointestinal tract protects itself against carcinomas by shedding its outer layer continuously. Furthermore, detoxification enzymes, such as cytochromes P450 have increased activities in the gut due to the normal requirement for protection from food-borne toxins. Thus in most cases small amounts of benzo[a]pyrene are metabolized by gut enzymes prior to being passed on to the blood. The lungs are not protected in either of these manners.

[DavidT]

I made inquiries in relation to tofu and one response back was in relation to smoked tofu.

So to start the ball rolling:

''thank you for your e-mail and let having us the opportunity to give you our feedback to this delicate subject.

First of all, we only produce tofu in a traditional way. That means using whole soybeans which get soaked, pre-sprouted and ground with fresh water. After separating the milk from the okara (fibres) we coagulate only with nigari (a Japanese sea water extract) and the natural mineral calcium sulphate.

In our smoked tofu we use traditionally fermented soy sauce. The beech wood smoke is been produced by fractioning the wood. The smoke gets through a filter and finally on the tofu. This procedure is known as the most pure available on the market. There can not be found any unpleasant compounds in the product as benzo-a-pyrene.

If you have further questions please do not hesitate contacting me again.

Best regards

Stefan Hauck
Teamleiter Qualität & Entwicklung
Manager Quality & Development
Taifun''


Okay the statement:

''There can not be found any unpleasant compounds in the product as benzo-a-pyrene.''

...may mean that benzo-a-pyrene may be out there is some smoked foods? We need someone in the know on that. Otherwise the manufacturer in this specific case is stating its just not there.

Benzo-a-pyrene is a yellow, crystalline, aromatic hydrocarbon, C20H12, that is a carcinogen found in coal tar and cigarette smoke.

This is great, because we buy Taifun stuff. Fair play to 'em.

[Quantum Mechanic]

From my knowledge, it is in the process of smoking the animal tissue (the fat or protein? I forget) that creates a reaction to form that hydrocarbon, and so that smoking or grilling plant foods cannot give this compound.

[Pob]

There are known carcinogens in the smoke, though, so even vegetable products will get coated in them. Also, frying or roasting vegetables produces carcinogenic/toxic compounds, so I don't believe the problems are restricted to meat products.

Moderation and plenty of fresh fruit and raw vegetables is the way for me.

[Quantum Mechanic]

Oh. Maybe what I recalled was just about grilling, then, where I don't think that smoke is really a factor (unless you use charcoal? I don't know much about grilling, just that I was reading something about the process).