CHEMICALS IN OUR COOKING

If you haven’t heard of acrylamide yet, you soon will. Acrylamide is a chemical that used in tiny quantities to purify water and that has been shown in lab tests to damage DNA and cause cancer in animals. Food like chips and crips contained high levels of acrylamide. It is formed when starchy foods are cooked at very high temperature usually by frying, roasting or baking but not necessarily when they’re boiled, steamed or microwave.

Acrylamide is known to cause cancer in animals and it is carrying out further research on the subject. Avoid burnt toast and golden brown chips, cut down on crisps and caramelized biscuits and eat home cooked meals, which may contain lower levels of acrylamide than many processed, fast food and restaurant meals.