The Dangers of Acrylamide and how we can avoid it in excess

While it is important to raise awareness about this component created upon cooking certain foods, it is important to note that this blog is not intended to advise you against ever consuming a slice of toast again. It is about raising your awareness so as you can make an informed decision when it comes to your diet and so as you can reduce your exposure to a toxin that is easily avoided.

WHAT IS ACRYLAMIDE?

Acrylamide is a chemical that naturally forms in starchy food products during high-temperature cooking, including frying, baking, roasting, at low moisture. It mainly forms from a reaction called a Maillard reaction, which is the browning of starchy foods when exposed to high dry heats.

This is a visible reaction - it's that brown/gold/black colour you get when you toast your bread or that crispy brown of your oven chips or roasties. The deeper the brown colour, the higher the dose of acrylamide formed.

WHY IS IT AN ISSUE?

Acrylamide and its metabolite glycidamide are genotoxic (can damage DNA) and carcinogenic (cancer-causing). Since any level of exposure to a genotoxic substance could potentially damage DNA and lead to cancer, the EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) cannot set a tolerable daily intake (TDI) of acrylamide in food.

WHICH FOODS POSE THE BIGGEST RISK?

The main contributors to the diet, and which are the biggest concern are: fried potato products, coffee, bread, crisps, baked foods, and toasted foods.

In infants, rusks and biscuits as well as the foods mentioned above contribute to the acrylamide levels in their diet.

Acrylamide is also found in cigarette smoke at higher amounts than present in food.

Potato products are a major contributor, but note that steamed/boiled potatoes show no acrylamide levels, because the maillard reaction doesn't occur with moist heat (oil doesn't mean moist, fried potatoes will contain acrylamide).

Photo credit: FSAI

WHY DOES STORING POTATOES IN THE FRIDGE AFFECT THE ACRYLAMIDE CONTENT?

Storing potatoes below 8 degrees Celsius is not recommended. The reason being that the storage of potatoes and sweet potatoes in the fridge causes the starch to break down into sugars. For a maillard reaction to occur, you need sugar and amino acids. The maillard reaction that causes acrylamide formation is formed by the amino acid asparagine reacting with the sugars glucose or fructose. These essential components all happen to be present in potatoes. But, the longer you keep your potatoes in the fridge, the more sugar formed, and then the more available to form the reaction when cooked, thus the more acrylamide.

SO HOW DO I REDUCE MY EXPOSURE TO THIS TOXIN?

• When cooking starchy foods at home you can reduce the amount of acrylamide in your diet by choosing cooking methods like boiling or steaming instead of frying or roasting.

• If you are frying, roasting, or baking starchy foods, then make sure to cook them to a light golden colour and not dark brown - or black for that matter. The same goes for toast. Toast your bread to a light golden colour. THE DARKER THE COLOUR THE MORE ACRYLAMIDE.

• Don’t store potatoes in the fridge if you intend to use them for roasting or frying.

• When oven-baking potato products, don't exceed temperatures of 200 degrees Celsius.

• Where possible parboil your potatoes before frying/roasting/baking.

• Avoid adding sugar coatings before frying/baking.

• Avoid excess browning on baked cereal-products (e.g. baked cakes and breads).

That's all you can do.

Thanks for reading guys. I hope you're all a bit more informed about how you can reduce your exposure to acrylamide. It is important to note that avoiding it altogether is unrealistic and next to impossible. The best advice I would offer is just don't burn your food and do not smoke. There is no point in scaremongering people into never having a slice of toast again. Enjoy your toast and your potatoes, just be mindful and remember... everything in moderation.

INFO CREDIT TO THE EFSA AND FSAI

#acrylamide #cancer