Eating Burnt Toasts May Increase Risk of Cancer, Says European Watchdog

The food safety watchdog said in a new report that when overcooked, these tasty breakfast favorites may contain high amounts of acrylamide, a cancer-causing substance.

The chemical is formed when a food is subjected to temperature above 120C, because of a reaction between amino acids, sugar and water found within bread and potatoes. With roast potatoes the less cooked batch contained 80 times less than the crispiest and most cooked potatoes, which had 490 micrograms of acrylamide per kilogram.

As for the toast, the batch with the palest color and the least cooked bread only had 9 micrograms per kilogram of acrylamide, while the crispiest had 167, translating to almost 19 times more toxic content.

Professor Guy Poppy said in a report accompanying the study: ‘The risk assessment indicates that at the levels we are exposed to from food, acrylamide could be increasing the risk of cancer’. Experts, however, warned that cooking these breakfast staples at high temperatures increases acrylamide contents, which can cause cancer. “When making [fries] at home”, ensure that “they are cooked to a light golden color….” Acrylamide levels are higher in well-cooked dark brown chips compared to lighter brown cooked chips. Similar to FSA, the Administration suggested to cook cut potato products such as frozen french fries to a golden yellow color rather than a brown color, because brown areas tend to contain more acrylamide. This means the increase is 50 times more from the crispiest chip to the palest.

The Food Standards Agency has classified acrylamide as a genotoxic carcinogen due to the chemical’s potential of affecting the DNA in cells and causing cancer because of the modifications it does to the genetic material.

Researchers took samples from the dinner table of 50 households for the testing.

TV chefs such as Nigella Lawson and Jamie Oliver suggest that getting the flawless roast potato involves parboiling them first, before draining and then shaking them in the pan.

The agency also shared tips on how to avoid adding acrylamide in potatoes.

Scientists haven’t yet established safe levels of acrylamide in food, but both the FDA and FSA are looking into regulations that will set a maximum amount.

How should I cook my potatoes?

A regulatory limit of just 0.1 microgrammes per litre is the amount present in drinking water in the EU. It increases the surface area of the cooking process, which generates more of the chemicals.