He points out that despite the recent campaign, which will doubtless reignite fears of the chemical, the effects that have been found are only at extremely high exposures. So should you throw away your toaster and give up those beloved fries? Not too fast, writes statistician David Spiegelhalter of the Winton Centre for Risk and Evidence Communication. Though frying seems to cause the most accumulation, baking and roasting do, too. It can also be found in roasted coffee beans. According to the FDA, the longer foods like potatoes or bread cook, the more acrylamides they accumulate. Since then, scientists have studied the chemical’s cancer-causing properties in both lab animals (in which it has been found to increase cancer risk in high doses) and in humans (in whom its effects are still being studied).Īcrylamide is formed when the sugars and amino acids inside some starchy foods are exposed to temperatures above 248 degrees Fahrenheit. In 2002, it was first found in foods by Swedish scientists and the United Nations and World Health Organizations convened a meeting on the chemical. The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer has given acrylamide a 2A (“probably carcinogenic to humans”) rating on its classification scale. Why reduce acrylamide? The chemical has been classified as a neurotoxin and a carcinogen. In a new campaign called “Go for Gold,” the agency is urging everyone to opt for a golden color on starchy potatoes and toasted bread and recommending that people do not store raw potatoes in the refrigerator if they are to be roasted or fried. You can thank a chemical called acrylamide-and the British Food Standards Agency-for the recommendation. But you might want to think twice before taking a bite: As the BBC reports, British food scientists just declared that browned toast might be bad for your health. Thank goodness your toast came out right-brown and crispy, just like you like it. Many people know the feeling of that combination of early morning calamities: You can’t find your shoes, your coffee turned out bitter.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |