It has always been important for her how healthy the foods that her family eats, and especially her three children, are. On the table they often had urbechi and raw chocolate, which she began to make on her own.
Svetlana, how did your investigation start?
I had my own production of healthy sweets. After I got married and gave birth to two more children, I passed this business to my eldest son. While the children were growing up, I began to study, in particular, I took courses from several masters in making raw food chocolate. One of the courses was about melangeurs – equipment for grinding nuts and cocoa beans. I wanted to buy myself such a device, which cost about 150 thousand rubles. The price is rather high, and I was wondering what it consists of. So I looked at what materials the melangeur consists of and found out that the millstones and even the bottom are made of granite. I began to worry about how the radiation that it emits affects the body. I began to collect information bit by bit. Manufacturers of melangeurs, as you understand, are reluctant to share it.
What conclusions have you drawn for yourself?
Melangers with granite millstones are used everywhere! Because the extraction of granite is cheaper than other rocks. Equipment manufacturers that I was able to get through to claimed that their products were certified and the level of radioactivity was not so high as to cause harm. However, I have found many studies that prove otherwise. Granite emits radon gas. Over time, harmful substances accumulate in the body and lead to diseases of the circulatory system, including leukemia.
How does a melanger work? Can particles of granite get into food?
Granite millstones are in direct contact with cocoa beans or nuts. The ingredients for the future chocolate or urbech are placed in a bowl and ground for a long time, sometimes even for 15 hours. Granite tends to wear out, therefore, fine granite dust, with a high probability, will be in the finished product.
Should those who do not adhere to a healthy lifestyle be afraid of radiation in chocolate?
Of course, we are now talking about those who want to be healthy and live a quality life. Official standards for the permissible concentration of harmful substances are established by law, which does not prevent the sale of alcohol and cigarettes. However, warnings are printed on bottles and packs. This is the difference: manufacturers of chocolates and urbech do not tell customers that there is radiation inside. As a result, we think that we benefit our body, but everything turns out exactly the opposite. The cheapest Dagestan urbech is prepared with the addition of sugar, nuts are not even soaked, but millstones from another natural stone are used. In my opinion, with all this, it is less harmful. I am in favor of manufacturers writing that hazardous materials were used in the production. Even if the level of radiation is not critical, eating such goodies every day, you can accumulate a significant amount of “toxic waste” in yourself. Let there be at least a warning on the labels: eat no more than once a month / year.
Are there alternatives to melangeurs with granite millstones?
Fortunately, there are still manufacturers who use other stones. I have already mentioned the Dagestan Urbech. I personally looked for options and learned about such material as Romanovsky quartzite. It is much harder than granite and lasts longer. Now I have found the guys who mine this stone near Rostov, and we are engaged in the production of alternative equipment that is not scary to use when preparing sweets for children and adults.
Will our health fall under the granite millstones? Is it really so terrible radiation in urbech and chocolate? Vegetarian consulted with .
Igor Vasilyevich, what is granite really?
Granite is an igneous rock composed mainly of quartz, feldspar, mica and hornblende. The composition of granite also includes colored minerals – biotite, muscovite, etc. They give different shades to granites. This is especially evident when polishing the stone.
Does granite emit radiation?
Indeed, the composition of granite may include minerals containing radioactive elements, such as uranium. However, granite granite is different. Depending on the deposit, the rock may have different levels of radiation, both strong and very weak. Granite is often used in construction and everyday life (countertops, fireplaces, etc.), as this material is dense and durable. However, granite is tested for radioactivity before use. A special conclusion is issued on its suitability, safety for human life and health.
In your opinion, how harmful is direct human interaction with this material?
I think that dairy, meat and other products that people buy and eat pose an incomparably greater danger to human health than granites. In addition, radiation to one degree or another affects us every day and almost everywhere. For personal peace of mind, I would advise you to request quality certificates for the granite that is used in the product.
How do manufacturers themselves explain the use of granite millstones in melangeurs? Vegetarian talked to those who sell this equipment in the capital.
Do you resell melangeurs or do you make them yourself?
We are a Russian company and we ourselves produce melangeurs, crushers, sieves, tempera baths and other equipment for making chocolate or urbech in Moscow. You can even come and see for yourself how and from what it is made.
Millstones in melangeurs are made of granite. Should I be afraid of radiation?
The millstones and the bottom of the melangeurs are made of granite of the first class of radioactivity, that is, the most minimal. We use only two types of granite: Mansurovsky, whose deposit is located in the Uchalinsky district of the Republic of Bashkortostan, and Sunset Gold from China. This granite is not only the safest, but also has high strength, so it does not wear out longer.
How can a buyer be sure of the quality of the used granite?
Granite undergoes primary control and testing for radioactivity at the place where it is mined. Not every granite block has a chance to become a millstone in our melangeurs. In addition, ready-made millstones are subjected to control. All equipment has quality certificates that confirm its safety for human health. In particular, such documents are necessary for the delivery of our goods abroad. You can get acquainted with the certificates in our store before purchasing the device.
Do you sell melangeurs with non-granite millstones?
No, granite is the most suitable material. First, it is a natural stone. Secondly, it has the necessary porosity, density and all those properties that allow the equipment to serve for a long time and please the owner.
How often do customers wonder about the safety of granite millstones in your products?
This is one of the popular questions that more and more people have come to ask. I think, on the one hand, this is due to those “horror stories” about the radioactivity of granite that appear on the Internet. On the other hand, the number of people who are attentive to their health is increasing. We are always happy to advise our clients and provide the necessary information.
Thus, chocolate and urbechi, indeed, can be radioactive to one degree or another, since melangeurs with granite millstones are used in their manufacture. At the same time, granite is a material of natural origin, which has different properties depending on the location. Note that every day a person is faced with many different sources of radiation. First of all, it is cosmic radiation and solar radiation. We also feel the radiation of the earth’s crust, which contains all kinds of minerals. Tap water is also radioactive, especially that which is extracted from deep wells. When we go through a scanner at an airport, or an x-ray at a clinic, we get an extra dose of radiation. Radiation cannot be avoided. Don’t be afraid of radiation, but don’t take it too lightly!
Raw chocolate or urbech, if consumed in large quantities, will not have the best effect on health, like any other product. However, if you occasionally indulge yourself with these delicacies, then the effect of radiation on the body will not be critical (we do not stop using the plane, going on vacation to warm countries). Granite will definitely be dangerous if it falls on your head. In other cases, we advise you not to abuse these products and keep calm. In addition, you can find alternative manufacturers that do not use granite. There is always a choice.