These are the three things to avoid, even with vegetables and fruit. Apparently, overcooked foods, especially fried foods, contain acrylamide, a chemical that causes cancer. So the beloved potato, the favorite vegetable of us all, whether chips or french fried, must be avoided. That well-done toast, thrown in the trash. Even coffee should not be burned. Instead, cooking foods at 248°F or less is safer, producing less acrylamide, but cooking at higher than 248°F, produces more acrylamide.
Here’s a great article from Forbes:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2013/11/15/the-fda-calls-out-yet-another-food-chemical-to-avoid-acrylamide/
Forbes Published 11.15.2013
FDA Says To Avoid Yet Another Food Chemical: Acrylamide
Yesterday the FDA released a Consumer Update suggesting that people try to reduce their consumption of a compound found in well- and over-cooked foods, called acrylamide. Apparently the offending chemical is found in such staples as potatoes, cereals, coffee, crackers or breads, dried fruits and “many other foods,” according to the FDA. And apparently the chemical has been linked to cancer in animal studies enough times that the FDA has decided to urge us to reduce our intake as well, since it likely causes cancer in humans, too. Given the number of common – not to mention delectable – foods in which the compound is found, the new advisory is a bit unnerving. But since it’s also fairly easy to reduce your intake, don’t bang your head against your desk just yet.
The bad news is that, yes, acrylamide is found in many foods we love, like potatoes, breads, and, most horribly, coffee. The good news is that much of the acrylamide found in foods is actually generated during the cooking process – especially when items are fried, overcooked, or burned. The compound is created when a sugar and an amino acid called asparagine combine during high-temperature cooking or heating for extended lengths of time. This means that avoiding frying or otherwise burning or charring foods is an effective way to cut down.
Since up to 40% of the calories we consume contain acrylamide, according to the Grocery Manufacturers Association, it’s worth exploring some of the other ways to reduce it where we can.
Here are a few tips on how to reduce consumption from the FDA and Cancer.gov (see below for images):
- Fry foods as little as possible, since the processes causes acrylamide to form. “If frying frozen fries,” says the FDA, “follow manufacturers’ recommendations on time and temperature and avoid overcooking, heavy crisping or burning.”
- Frying, baking, roasting and broiling are the methods that create the most acrylamide, while boiling, steaming, and microwaving appear to generate less.
- According to Cancer.gov, 248°F (120°C) seems to be the magic temperature, above which more acrylamide forms. On the contrary, foods heated to below 248°F or less do not seem to contain the chemical.
- Don’t eat burnt toast, since the darker the toast, the more acrylamide has formed. “Toast bread to a light brown color rather than a dark brown color. Avoid very brown areas,” advises the FDA.
- Storing potatoes in the fridge can increase the amount of acrylamide that forms when they’re cooked. “Keep potatoes outside the refrigerator in a dark, cool place, such as a closet or a pantry.” The FDA suggests soaking potato slices in water for 15-30 minutes before cooking to reduce the amount of acrylamide that will form.
- And again, don’t brown potatoes when cooking by any method. “Brown areas tend to contain more acrylamide,” says the FDA.
- Potato chips and French fries contain the highest levels, according to Cancer.gov
The World Health Organization says that “Acrylamide is known to cause cancer in animals and, in high doses, can cause nerve damage in humans.” Though it may be difficult to consume doses high enough to generate this kind of damage, over time, it may be possible to consume enough (depending on your diet) to cause enough DNA damage to lead to cancer. And again, the FDA believes there’s enough evidence in animals to warrant trying to reduce how much we humans take in.
Last week, the agency said it was on the path to banning trans fats in foods. Our French fries may never taste the same after this takes place, but now we have another reason to avoid them – or at least, watch how we prepare them at home.
Additional resources:
For a fairly comprehensive list of acrylamide levels in foods from Boca Burgers to coffee to chocolate to French fries, see the FDA’s acrylamide breakdown.
For more information on how to reduce acrylamide in your diet, see the FDA’s tips page.
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