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Sodium Tetraborate

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Borax is a sodium salt or soft crystal containing boron, colored and water soluble elements commonly known by chemical name of  Sodium Tetraborate (Na₂.B₄O₇.10H₂O), borax is a chemical often used as a preservative in various non food industries, especially paper industry, glass, wood preservative, and ceramics industry.

Usually, the borax commonly form as crystal white powder, odorless, easily soluble in water, but borax isn't soluble in alcohol. Borax also used as antiseptic wood, detergent, skin salve, the strong preservative of borax comes from boric acid content, it can be found in solid form, when dissolved in water it will be sodium hydroxide and boric acid (H3BO3). Boric acid commonly used as a detergent (cleaner), antiseptic and reduces of water hardness, borax can cause skin irritation and if it swallowed will cause respiratory tract irritation. Borax contains toxic substances which can interfere of human health, Borax consumed by humans, the substance of the food will be absorbed cumulatively by intestines then accumulate of liver, kidney, and testes, eventually the toxins levels of body accumulated will be increase.

Borax is toxic substance, it absorbed by human body and stored it in liver, brain, intestine, or testes that can affect the dose in the body,  If it consumed continuously can cause the cancer, boric acid usually used in medicine and cosmetics, for example, a solution of boric acid in water is used as an eye care remedy known as boor water.

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Formaldehyda

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Formaldehyde is a colorless liquid used as a disinfectant to kill the insects, and as a preservative used in textile and wood industry, it has a strong odor and easily soluble in water and alcohol. Actually Borax and formalin shouldn't be used as food preservatives because it contain dangerous chemical substances, as described above for health effects. Some food examples, when making meatballs, fish, tofu, and noodle were using borax and formalin. Borax and Formalin are the harmful preservatives that can cause the toxic, if these chemicals consumed in high concentrations their toxins can affect nerve work, we can't know how much the concentrate of formalin and borax used in a food, we should avoid foods contain this substance. Formalin is another name of formaldehyde, a substance soluble in water with levels of 37% and typically contains 15% alcohol serves as stabilizer to avoid formaldehyde polymerization. For example Tofu, it is a food product usually soaked formalin, if it doesn't soaked formalin know only lasted 2 days later will be slimy, While it soaked formalin will last 5 days even up to 1 month certain. 

The using of borax in wet noodles will cause noodle hold on up to 2 days at room temperature (25^oC) and lasting more than 15 days at refrigerator temperature (10^oC). The formalin smell is stinging, not sticky and more shiny than normal conditions. The borax used in the noodles will produce more supple texture, and its not only used in noodles but also in tofu, a food much loved by people, because it has high nutritional content and taste, but behind the deliciousness of tofu there also contain dangerous ingredients, if the tofu not easily crumbled or harder than usual and chewy than ordinary known, In addition, the tofu doesn't damaged up to 3 days at room temperature (25^oC) and lasts more than 15 days at refrigerator temperature (10^oC), probably the tofu contains the borax or formalin.

The identification of Borax in the wet noodle (yellow noodle) can be seen by color change of yellow color of cloudy turn to brownish red after spilled curcumin indicator (C₂₁H₂₀O₆).

  Na2B4O7 + C21H20O6  => B(C21H19O6)2Cl

The wet noodles produce a brownish red color after borax acid reacts with curcumin, the color was indicate presence of Rosocyanine compounds.

If the borax mixed with sulfuric acid and methanol in a small porcelain plate, then the alcohol ignited, the baked almond alcohol with a green flame on the left, it caused by formation of methylborate (B[OCH₃]₃), this was toxic ester, the copper salt react with barium gives a similar green flame.

H3BO3 + 3 CH3OH => B(OCH3)3 + 3 H2O

The green flame cause of reaction between fire and barium copper formed alcohol and borax reactions.

Turmeric

Unfortunately, not everyone knows how to detect borax content in foodstuffs, most of people think the borax only can be detecting in laboratory, this makes people lazy to test then direct consume the purchased food, if they know how easy way to detect borax, the people will not difficult to do their own.Turmeric is one of the natural ingredients that can be used to detect borax, Turmeric is commonly used as a medicine and seasoning in various recipes.

First step is making turmeric paper, how to ?

Take a pieces of turmeric, then mash and strain it to produce yellow turmeric liquid, dip the filter paper in turmeric liquid then dry it, the result of this process called turmeric paper. Next, create a paper that acts as positive control by inserting a teaspoon of borax in a glass of water and stirring the solution evenly, drop the liquid on prepared turmeric paper. Observe the color change on the turmeric paper, the colors produced of turmeric paper will be use as positive control.

Step two, mash the ingredients to test and give a little water, drop the solution water from the tested food on turmeric paper, observe which color changes occur on the paper, If the color was same as on positive control of turmeric paper, it mean the ingredients contain borax, if not, the food doesn't contain the borax.

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Conclusion

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Wet noodle is a food we often find in culinary, but to observe whether that food contains borax or formalin, the observation not only can be done in laboratory, but it can also be observe in the home by using turmeric. the food was contain borax usually hold on then 2 days in room temperature.

Source : 

The Harmful Of Borax and Formalin

39 of Borax Harmful

Borax And Curcumin

Reaction of Sodium Tetraborate

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