How to reduce acrylamide in food

Recently, the Shenzhen Consumer Council randomly selected 15 potato chips from online and offline stores for comparative testing and found that the content of acrylamide, a Class 2A carcinogen, in potato chips from three well-known companies was higher than the benchmark level set by the European Union (750μg/kg), reaching 2000μg/kg. This article will talk about what acrylamide is and how to reduce it.

What is acrylamide? Acrylamide is the raw material for producing polyacrylamide. According to the classification of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IRAC), acrylamide is a Class 2A carcinogen. This means that there is sufficient evidence to show that acrylamide can cause cancer in experimental animals. However, there is limited evidence of carcinogenicity to humans, so it can only be said that it is very likely to cause cancer in humans.

The above-mentioned companies responded that my country does not have a food safety standard for limiting acrylamide content, and the products will be sold normally. Using the fact that there is no domestic standard for limiting acrylamide content as an excuse to respond to people's doubts is blocking the bottom line of food safety and shirking responsibility.

Under what circumstances will acrylamide be produced? In fact, it is not the acrylamide products that contaminate the food. As long as some starch-rich foods are fried or deep-fried, acrylamide will be produced.

Acrylamide will be produced when the cooking temperature is higher than 120℃, frying, baking and stir-frying, all of which are higher than 120℃. Compared with potato chips, Chinese people eat stir-fried dishes much more frequently, so there is no need to worry about eating potato chips occasionally.

Foods rich in carbohydrates and low in protein mainly include potato chips, bread, fried dough sticks, fried cakes, twisted dough sticks, biscuits, various pastries, coffee, etc. It is worth noting that the thinner the food, the more acrylamide it produces. This is because acrylamide is mainly formed on the surface of food when it is heated. For example, potato chips are thin and have a large surface area, so it is easy to produce acrylamide. In addition, the higher the heating temperature, the less water, and the longer the cooking time, the more acrylamide is produced.

How to reduce acrylamide intake? Eat less stir-fried vegetables. Studies in mainland China and Hong Kong have shown that vegetables and their products are the main source of acrylamide intake, contributing about 50%. The higher the stir-fry temperature and the longer the stir-fry time, the more acrylamide precursors there are in the vegetables, and the more acrylamide is produced. The acrylamide content of stir-fried vegetables such as Chinese cabbage, water spinach, onion, zucchini, and bell pepper is much higher than that of stir-fried amaranth, spinach, lettuce, and bitter melon.

Blanching the vegetables in boiling water before frying can also reduce the amount of acrylamide. How to blanch? Use enough water to cover all the vegetables; the water must be boiled before blanching the vegetables; the blanching time should be short, generally within 30 seconds for leafy vegetables, and about 1 minute for other vegetables. Blanching vegetables in this way can maximize the reduction of acrylamide, nitrite, pesticide residues and other harmful substances, and maximize the retention of nutrients.

Vegetables should be steamed or boiled more often, and those that can be eaten raw should be washed and eaten raw. Vegetables that can be eaten raw, boiled or steamed will not produce acrylamide, so it is recommended to wash cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, zucchini, carrots and other vegetables that can be eaten raw and serve cold; after blanching in boiling water, take out the vegetables, rinse them with cold water, then drain the water, mix with some sesame paste or drizzle some light soy sauce and sprinkle with coriander and minced garlic; after slicing or shredding the vegetables, add some corn flour or starch, steam them in the steamer for 2 minutes after the pot is boiled, and pour oil, vinegar, millet pepper and light soy sauce after taking them out of the pot.

Eat less food with high acrylamide content, such as baked potato chips. Slice the potatoes and soak them in water for 15 to 30 minutes, then use kitchen paper to absorb the moisture, which can also reduce the formation of acrylamide during cooking. In addition, do not put potatoes in the refrigerator (just put them in a cool place), because part of the starch in the potatoes will be converted into free sugars at low temperatures, and high-temperature cooking will produce a large amount of acrylamide with the amino acids in the food. When frying potatoes or toasting bread, it is enough to fry them until golden or lighter. If the color turns dark brown or even burns, more acrylamide will be produced.

Instead of worrying about whether acrylamide is carcinogenic, it is better to try not to smoke, drink, eat less salted fish, and eat less processed meat products such as sausages, ham, and bacon. The above substances are all confirmed to be carcinogenic to humans. It is worth mentioning that red meat is also listed as a Class 2A carcinogen. For those of us who eat pork, beef, and mutton every day, we don’t have to worry about acrylamide anymore.

It is wrong to only talk about toxicity without talking about dosage. It is unlikely to completely avoid consuming acrylamide from food, but a balanced diet can reduce the risk of cancer. Instead of worrying about whether to eat a certain kind of food, it is better to eat a balanced diet overall.