健康养生坊 ( iHealth-Nutrition ): Are ingest toxins or carcinogen in your food everyday? The Breaking News From FDA: Acrylamide found in our food!

What is the Acrylamide in the food?

Acrylamide is a carcinogen (agent causing cancer) or neurotoxin (toxin causing nerve damage). According to FDA 2012, Acrylamide is a chemical substance that can produced in certain foods during high-temperature cooking processes with 250° F such as frying, roasting, and baking. It doesn’t contain in raw food naturally. It is converted from sugars and an amino acid that are naturally present in food; it does not come from food packaging or the environment.

Acrylamide should not exist in our human food; it is the material used to manufacture products such as plastics, grouts, water treatment products, and cosmetics. Acrylamide is also found in cigarette smoke. Acrylamide had been present in our daily food for a long time, but it was only first detected in April 2002.

Boiling and steaming do not typically form acrylamide. Acrylamide is found mainly in foods made from plants, such as potato products, grain products, or coffee. Generally, acrylamide is more likely to accumulate when cooking is done for longer periods or at higher temperatures.

FDA regulates the amount of residual acrylamide in a variety of materials that come in contact with food; The EPA regulates acrylamide in drinking water. European governments permit 10 parts per million (ppb) of acrylamide in packaged foods, but U.S. standards are more lax. For example, Kellogg’s Rice Crispies contain 110 ppb and Pringles original crisps contain 1,480 ppb. Sugar-coated breakfast cereals have even higher levels than Rice Crispies.

Examples of Foods with Acrylamide Exposure

· Plant foods such as potatoe (French fries, potato chips), grain products (breads and breakfast cereals, cookies, toast), and coffee. While, dairy, animal foods (poultry, meat) or seafood are excluded.

· Various forms of these foods are typically fried, baked or roasted. Steaming or boiling cooking method are safe from Acrylamide production.

The average content in potato chips is approximately 1000 micrograms/kg and in French fries approximately 500 micrograms/kg. Other food groups which may contain low as well as high levels of acrylamide are fried bread products-such as doughnuts-breakfast cereals, fried potato products, biscuits, cookies and snacks, such as tortilla chips, bread crust and popcorn.

What Can I Do to Reduce Acrylamide?

· The cooking method affect the amount of Acrylamide form in the foods. Boiling/Microwaving doesn’t produce Acrylamide. The sequences of Acrylamide level following the cooking method : Frying > Roasting > Baking > Boiling/Microwaving.

· Soaking raw potato slices in water for 15-30 minutes before frying or roasting helps reduce acrylamide formation during cooking.

· Storing potatoes in the refrigerator can result in increased acrylamide during cooking. Hence, store potatoes outside the refrigerator, preferably in a dark, cool place, such as a closet or a pantry, to prevent sprouting.

· Generally, more acrylamide accumulates when cooking is done for longer periods or at higher temperatures. Cooking cut potato products, such as frozen French fries or potato slices, to a golden yellow color rather than a brown color helps reduce acrylamide formation (see Picture A). Brown areas tend to contain more acrylamide.

· Toasting bread to a light brown color, rather than a dark brown color, lowers the amount of acrylamide (see Picture B). Very brown areas should be avoided, since they contain the most acrylamide.

· Acrylamide forms in coffee when coffee beans are roasted, not when coffee is brewed at home or in a restaurant. So far, scientists have not found good ways to reduce acrylamide formation in coffee.