在中國大陸，部分小吃店或餐館之所以在鮮麵條、餃子皮、餛飩皮、燒仙草、肉圓等食物中違法添加硼砂，背後反映出一個長期存在的食品安全與商業利益之間的結構性矛盾。

硼砂（化學名稱：四硼酸鈉）原本並非食品添加劑，其主要用途是工業領域，例如用於玻璃、陶瓷、洗滌劑或殺蟲劑等。早在2009年，中國《食品添加劑使用標準》中已明確將硼砂列為禁用物質，禁止用於任何食品中，因為長期攝入硼砂可能對腎臟、生殖系統與神經系統造成損害，甚至導致慢性中毒，對兒童尤其有害。

儘管法律明令禁止，部分業者仍冒險違規使用，原因在於硼砂具有一種「看不見的誘惑力」：它能夠讓麵條或麵皮口感更有彈性、更「筋道」，並延長保存期限，防止變黏、變色或變質。這對一些每日大量製作餃子皮或餛飩皮的小吃店來說，不僅能節省成本、減少損耗，還能讓食物在外觀與口感上更加吸引顧客，提升所謂的「銷售競爭力」。

此外，監管難度也是問題之一。一些小作坊規模小、流動性大，衛生條件差，但往往位於城中村、學校周邊或社區內部，抽檢不易覆蓋全面，加上罰則執行力不足，導致違規者即使被查出，也可能轉換地點、換名重開，很難根絕。

某些商家也打著「祖傳配方」、「傳統工藝」的旗號混淆視聽，讓消費者難以分辨產品是否含有非法添加物。在消費者不知情的情況下，長期食用這些看似正常但實際含有硼砂的食物，健康風險自然大增。

這一問題的根源，不僅在於業者逐利的心態，更是整體食品安全監管體系與公眾食品教育之間的落差。儘管政府不斷宣導與查緝，但若沒有更有效的執法力度、更高的市場透明度與消費者警覺性，就難以從根本上杜絕類似行為的重複發生。

總而言之，餃子皮、餛飩皮與鮮面條成為「硼砂重災區」，不只是技術問題或經濟選擇，更是對於利潤與法規、口感與健康之間選擇錯誤所導致的結果。在這樣的環境下，保障民眾「吃得安全」仍是一場持久的監管與意識戰。

In mainland China, the illegal addition of borax to fresh noodles, dumpling wrappers, wonton skins, grass jelly, meatballs, and similar foods by some small eateries or restaurants reflects a longstanding structural conflict between food safety and commercial interests.

Borax (chemical name: sodium tetraborate) is not a permitted food additive. Its primary applications are industrial—used in glassmaking, ceramics, detergents, or insecticides. As early as 2009, China’s National Standard for the Use of Food Additives explicitly listed borax as a banned substance, prohibiting its use in any food products. This is because long-term ingestion of borax may damage the kidneys, reproductive system, and nervous system, potentially leading to chronic poisoning, with children being particularly vulnerable.

Despite the clear legal prohibition, some businesses still risk violating the law because of the “invisible temptation” of borax: it can improve the texture of noodles or dough, making them more elastic and chewy, and extend shelf life by preventing stickiness, discoloration, or spoilage. For small eateries that produce large quantities of dumpling or wonton wrappers daily, this not only reduces production costs and waste but also enhances the appearance and texture of their food, increasing what they perceive as “competitive selling power.”

Another part of the problem lies in the difficulty of effective supervision. Many of these operations are small, highly mobile workshops with poor hygiene standards, often located in urban villages, near schools, or within residential communities. It is hard for food inspections to comprehensively cover these areas. Moreover, enforcement is often weak; even when violators are caught, they may simply relocate, change names, and reopen, making it hard to eradicate the issue completely.

Some vendors also exploit labels such as “traditional recipe” or “ancestral craft” to mislead consumers, making it difficult for the public to identify whether a product contains illegal additives. As a result, consumers may unknowingly ingest borax-laced food over the long term, significantly increasing health risks.

At its core, this issue is not just about profit-driven motives but also about the gap between the food safety regulatory system and public education on food consumption. Although the government continues to issue public warnings and conduct investigations, without more effective enforcement, greater market transparency, and heightened consumer awareness, such practices are likely to persist.

In summary, the prevalence of borax in dumpling wrappers, wonton skins, and fresh noodles is not simply a technical or economic decision—it is a consequence of choosing profit over regulations and texture over public health. Under such circumstances, ensuring the safety of what people eat remains a long-term battle of regulation and public awareness.