Uh Oh! Acrylamide.
There’s been recent articles in the news about a new dirty chemical on the loose. (Actually it’s not new at all, but acrylamide’s carcinogenicity has been popping up in the headlines again recently.) Acrylamide is a chemical that can form in some foods during high-temperature cooking, such as frying, roasting, and baking. Acrylamide forms from natural sugars and the amino acid asparagine in foods; it does not come from food packaging or the environment.
What’s the deal? In laboratory studies, acrylamide caused cancer in animals. The FDA is now in the midst of conducting research to determine whether the much lower levels of acrylamide in food pose a health risk to humans.
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Which foods contain acrylamide? plant-based foods, such as potatoes, grain products, and coffee- although brewed coffee levels are much lower than the potatoes and grains. (Acrylamide is not typically associated with meat, dairy, or seafood products.)
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Acrylamide is typically found in plant-based foods cooked with high heat (e.g., frying, roasting, and baking), not raw plant-based foods or foods cooked by steaming or boiling.
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Which foods have the highest amounts? Potato products: French fries and potato chips, and foods made of grains (such as breakfast cereal, cookies, and toast).
(from www.fda.gov)
What can you do to lower your acrylamide exposure? Although the jury is still out on the details of “how much is too much“, it might be wise to skip the extra crispy fries, and dark toasted grains. Try alternate cooking methods at lower temperatures…or you could ditch “them grains” all together.
WOD: BP ; DU / HSPU / TTB