Overcooked starchy food ‘potential cancer risk’, study suggests

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has warned that starchy foods such as bread, chips and potatoes should not be browned too much when cooked to reduce the likelihood of contributing towards our risk of cancer.

According to the FSA, a chemical called acrylamide is produced when starchy foods are roasted, fried or grilled for too long at high temperatures which is believed to be carcinogenic. While the research has only been conducted via animal studies, the findings indicated that the chemical is toxic to DNA and that the cancer risk rose in conjunction with the level exposure to acrylamide.

The FSA has published advice on small changes people can make to the way they cool and prepare food to reduce their risk, including: going for a golden yellow colour when toasting, frying, baking, or roasting starchy foods such as potatoes, bread and root vegetables; not keeping raw potatoes in the fridge - store them in a cool, dark place above 6C instead; following the cooking instructions carefully when heating oven chips, pizzas, roast potatoes and parsnips; and eating a healthy, balanced diet that includes five portions of vegetables and fruit per day as well as starchy carbohydrates.

Steve Wearne, director of policy at the Food Standards Agency, said: “Our research indicates that the majority of people are not aware that acrylamide exists, or that they might be able to reduce their personal intake. We want our 'Go for Gold' campaign to highlight the issue so that consumers know how to make the small changes that may reduce their acrylamide consumption whilst still eating plenty of starchy carbohydrates and vegetables as recommended in government healthy eating advice.

“Although there is more to know about the true extent of the acrylamide risk, there is an important job for government, industry and others to do to help reduce acrylamide intake. This campaign is part of the FSA's wider work to reduce the level of acrylamide that people consume.

“The FSA is continuing to work closely with the food industry to reduce acrylamide in the food you buy, including the development of practical tools like an industry toolkit and codes of practice which will be embedded throughout the food chain.”

Responding to the warning, Emma Shields, health information officer from Cancer Research UK, commented: "To be on the safe side, people can reduce their exposure by following a normal healthy, balanced diet - which includes eating fewer high calorie foods like crisps, chips and biscuits, which are the major sources of acrylamide.

"The UK Food Standards Agency also advises that people cook starchy foods like potatoes and bread to a golden yellow colour or lighter, as the time and temperature of cooking determine the amount of acrylamide produced."