UK: Government issues advice to limit ‘cancer-causing’ toxin in food

Advice on how to limit the amount of the cancer-causing toxin acrylamide in starch-rich foods such as chips, toast, cake and coffee has been issued by the Government’s chief scientific advisor Professor Guy Poppy. Acrylamide occurs in foods cooked at very high temperatures, which causes them to brown. Coffee, fried potato products – such as chips and crisps – biscuits, crackers and bread are all dietary sources of acrylamide, according to the European Food Safety Authority. Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of some of the microbiological risks associated with food, Poppy said. He added: “Acrylamide is a chemical substance formed by a reaction between amino acids and sugars, typically in foods with a high-starch content, when cooked at high temperatures such as in frying, roasting and baking.” The formation of acrylamide in food occurs as a result of the Maillard reaction, which also happens during the burning of tobacco, he added. More