Ginger Safety Inspection

Ginger is treated with sulfur dioxide to bleach it, making old or poor-quality ginger appear fresh and light-colored. 1. The Visual Color Check: Natural fresh ginger has a light brown to golden-beige skin with natural variations and slight blemishes. Chemically bleached ginger appears unnaturally pale, almost white or cream-colored, with overly smooth skin. It looks "too clean." 2. The Smell Test (Critical): Cut or break the ginger and smell it immediately. Natural ginger has a strong, fresh, pungent, earthy-spicy aroma that's characteristic. Sulfur dioxide-treated ginger has a chemical smell, sulfurous odor (like burnt matchsticks), or very weak ginger aroma. 3. The Texture Check: Feel the ginger skin. Natural ginger has slightly wrinkled, rough, papery skin with texture. Bleached ginger often has unnaturally smooth, almost shiny skin because the bleaching process affects the surface texture. 4. The Cut Test: Cut the ginger and examine the interior. Natural ginger has a fibrous, moist interior with fresh appearance. Chemically treated ginger may have altered interior, appearing dry, or having different color between surface and inside. 5. The Taste Test: Taste a small piece of raw ginger. Natural ginger is pungent, spicy, and has strong flavor. Bleached ginger tastes bland, has chemical aftertaste, or lacks the characteristic ginger heat.