Three tips to avoid acrylamide in home-cooked food


Photo courtesy of Stacy Spensley, Flickr

Photo courtesy of Stacy Spensley, Flickr

In the world of nutrition, sometimes, it can feel like everything is bad for you. While several studies will caution against the dangers of saturated fats, others might link saturated fats to decreased cardiovascular risk. It can be difficult to navigate through all of this information, especially when it’s conflicting. But there’s one thing that food scientists have warned against with little refutation — acrylamide.

The potential health risks of cooking high starch foods became apparent in 2002, when high levels of acrylamide, a carcinogenic chemical, was first associated with heating up plant-based foods, such as boiling potatoes or toasting bread. Since then, this issue has been in the consciousness of the scientific community. In 2011, the Joint Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization Expert Committee on Food Additives conclusively linked high acrylamide exposure to cancer in animal studies.

This month, the Food Standard Agency, the United Kingdom’s equivalent to the Food and Drug Administration, released a second report to bring public attention to acrylamide and its health threats. Acrylamide, while it is clearly dangerous, has not led to much public action, perhaps because it’s hard to believe. How could something so mundane as a potato turn into a carcinogen? It turns out, acrylamide forms from a simple reaction in starchy foods. Add a little heat, and the amino acids and sugars in food react together. The process, called Maillard reaction, contributes to the browning of cooked foods as well as “roasting” aromas and flavors. In short, what makes food taste good can also make it harmful. But, for college students, cooking is a feat in and of itself, so here are a few simple tips to make it easier to avoid acrylamide at home:

  1. Short and Low

Acrylamide has only been linked to cancer when it’s present in high concentrations. To minimize acrylamide, cook foods on heat for shorter lengths and at lower temperatures. The FDA recommends steaming and boiling over frying, roasting or baking.

  1. Balance the Pros and Cons

Starchy foods and grains are essential to the American diet. It would probably be more harmful to eliminate them from your diet, and very unrealistic. The FDA, however, found that acrylamide levels are higher in heated foods that are rich in added sugars (which react with the amino acids) and salt. Some brands of bread have added sugar, so make sure to check the label before you toast it!

  1. Browning

Use browning as an indicator of acrylamide formation, abd keep your toaster settings on low. Though a little technical, the FDA recommends toasting bread to a “golden yellow.” The same can be said for fried food. If you’re craving French fries, the yellower the fries, the less acrylamide they likely have!

As with all nutritional advice, these recommendations need to be taken with a grain of salt, but the dangers of acrylamide are real, and the solutions are pretty simple, so why not put more weight on prevention?