Experts advise moderation in consumption of food containing acrylamide, that is linked to cancer

PETALING JAYA: Almost everyone believes that consuming too much fried food could raise cholesterol levels.

It turns out that everything that emerges from the frying pan may cause other health problems too, such as cancer.

The culprit here is acrylamide, an organic compound that is used to make paper, dyes and plastic.

It is also used in the treatment of sewage and waste water.

Acrylamide is not added to food, but the colourless and odourless substance is formed in the cooking process, especially when food that contains the amino acid asparagine is fried or baked at high heat.

Among the many types of food rich in asparagine are beef, poultry meat, eggs, potatoes and legumes.

According to Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman assistant professor of chemical science Dr Anto Cordelia Dhanapal, acrylamide can cause skin and eye irritation as well as discharge and inflammation of the nose and throat, leading to coughing and wheezing.

“High exposure can also lead to confusion, disorientation, fatigue and tremors. Apart from that, it is probably also a carcinogen,” she told theSun.

Anto Cordelia said laboratory tests on rats showed that it causes cancers in the central nervous system, mammary glands and the scrotum of the rodents, but only involving high doses.

The environmental protection agencies of Malaysia and the United States as well as the International Agency for Research on Cancer considers acrylamide a potential carcinogen.

Last week, Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said several varieties of biscuits on the market have been found to contain acrylamide.

However, Anto Cordelia said low levels of acrylamide is safe. For a person who weighs 70kg, any amount below 182 micrograms per day is considered tolerable (182 micrograms is less than 1,000th of a teaspoon).

Foods that are fried, boiled or baked contain more acrylamide, especially when it has been cooked for a longer duration.

Evidence of the carcinogen in the food is quite discernible. Potato fries cooked to a dark brown shade or similarly coloured toasted bread produce more acrylamide than light coloured cooked foods.

That puts items such as biscuits, cakes, pastries, hash browns, potato chips, crackers, breakfast cereals, canned black olives, prune juice and coffee on the blacklist.

However, there are ways to stem the production of acrylamide. Soaking potatoes in water for 15 to 30 minutes before frying or roasting will do the trick, Anto Cordelia said.

Reducing cooking time also helps.

However, storing potatoes in the fridge will lead to more acrylamide being formed during cooking.

In the case of coffee, the acrylamide is formed when the beans are roasted, not when it is brewed.

Dietician and nutritionist Adele Wong Li-Peng said barbecuing, grilling, frying or smoking fish as well as meats such as pork, beef and chicken also raises the chance of various types of carcinogens forming.

However, Wong said all the information have been derived only from research on animals, and the doses of acrylamide ingested by the lab rats were “a lot higher than what a normal person would consume”.

To be on the safe side, remove the charred or burnt portions of the meat before eating, she added.

Beyond the concerns about acrylamide, Wong said people should also watch what they eat.

“Don’t eat too much ultra-processed foods such as chips, cookies and candy. They are super-palatable and good for the soul, but not that great for physical health.”

She said the general rule is to consume whole foods that have undergone minimal processing.

“Occasionally, it is alright to sprinkle in some fun food. There is no such thing as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ food. Anything can become bad if consumed too much. Moderation is key,” she added.