What's right and wrong with burong pagkain

By Jowi Carteciano
MediaCore, NRCP

The National Research Council of the Philippines warns of the "high prevalence" of hypertension and bacterial meningitis traced to an assortment of fermented and street foods that proliferate and preferred among mostly low-income groups.

Traditionally known as "burong pagkain", the list of fermented foods in Central and Southern Luzon alone includes bagoong (fish paste), bagoong na alamang (shrimp paste), balao balao (rice and shrimp mixture), burong babi/tusino (pork), burong kalabi (carabao meat), burong isda (fish sauce), burong kanin (rice and fish mixture), longanisa (meat sausage), tapa (beef), tausi (soy beans), and toyo (soy sauce).

Streetfoods, mostly barbecued are byproducts of chicken, pig, cow, etc., which are popular for their familiar taste and affordability.  But such tasty and budget-friendly foods may be packed with harmful fats and bacteria or microbes that could lead to health and pocket busts.

Fat-heavy diet could result to hypertension or high blood pressure, a heart-pumping disorder, says NRCP cardiologist Dr. Ramon F. Abarquez Jr.  Over 20 million middle-aged and elderly people worldwide are afflicted with such disorder.

Meanwhile, Dr. Epifania S. Simbul of the National Children's Hospital said 921 children suffered from bacterial or microbial meningitis between 1998 to 2002 alone.  Meningitis (cerebrospinal meningitis) is the swelling of meninges, the membranes or layers that cover the brain and spinal cord.

Bacterial meningitis could be induced by bacteria such as S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae, and N. meningitidis.  Children are susceptible to micro-monsters E. coli, Streptococci, and Listeria monocytogenes or from food tainted with Salmonella, Coliform bacilli, and Staphylococci species, the NRCP study showed.

But not everything is wrong about burong pagkain.  NRCP members and food microbiologists Dr. Francisco Elegado and Ana Opina conducted research on 86 fermented foods sold in Central and Southern Luzon to identify the healthy substances called peptides contained in such foods.  Protein-rich peptides are responsible for the growth and maintenance of all body organs.

Four of the fermented foods covered by the NRCP-funded research are found to contain peptides.  These are the balao balao, bagoong, burong isda, and longanisa.

Longanisa and balao balao contain antimicrobial peptides known as thermostable bacteriocins, which prohibit and fight the growth of Listeria monocytogenes bacteria that triggers bacterial meningitis.

Burong babi and patis also contain anti-hypertensive peptides known as angiotensin inhibitor that breaks large amount of enzyme into smaller parts.  This function essentially prevents the occurrence of hypertension.

But strict hygiene in food preparation and a balanced diet are still the best ways to good health, NRCP said.  NRCP is a collegial body under the Department of Science and Technology and has a membership list of about 2000 researchers, scientists, and academicians nationwide.