How to reduce the carcinogen acrylamide？

News often report that potato chips and coffee contain carcinogens. You may also have heard that air fryers can cause cancer. These are all about acrylamide. Is acrylic amide really carcinogenic? How is it produced? And how can you reduce your intake? This article will provide a systematic explanation.

How is acrylamide produced?

Acrylamide is a byproduct of the Maillard reaction. Propenamide forms in carbohydrate-rich foods cooked at high temperatures, usually over 120℃, when the amino acid asparagine reacts with reducing sugars or carboxyl compounds. The higher the temperature, the longer the cooking time, and the lower the moisture content, the more acrylamide is produced. Roasting, grilling, frying, and deep-frying use higher temperatures than braising, stewing, boiling, simmering, and steaming, and moisture dissipates more quickly, resulting in higher acrylamide production.

A 2002 Swedish study showed that frying or baking starchy foods, such as potatoes and cereals, produces elevated levels of acrylamide. We often hear that high levels of acrylamide have been detected in baked and fried foods like potato chips, French fries, cookies, coffee, bread, fried dough sticks, fried cakes, and twisted dough sticks. The more golden and crispy these foods become after baking or frying, the higher the acrylamide content.

Is propenoic acid amide  really carcinogenic?

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), an agency of the World Health Organization, classifies carcinogens into four categories.

Class 1 carcinogens are proven to cause cancer in humans. Common examples of these carcinogens include alcoholic beverages, tobacco, betel nut, and processed meat.

Class 2 carcinogens are further divided into Class 2A and Class 2B carcinogens, depending on the strength of the evidence for their carcinogenicity in humans. Class 2A carcinogens have been shown to cause cancer in experimental animals, but the evidence for their human effects is limited. Therefore, they are likely to cause cancer in humans, but not necessarily. In other words, burnt bread is not necessarily carcinogenic.

How can I reduce my acrylamide intake?

Some may argue that the current evidence that prop-2-enamide causes cancer in humans is limited, but perhaps it will be more robust in the future; therefore, it’s best to minimize acrylamide intake as a precaution. Being cautious is a good thing. So how can we reduce acrylamide intake?

These five food categories should be avoided:

• Fried or roasted starchy foods, such as toast, steamed bread slices, pan-fried buns, flatbreads, pancakes, pot stickers, potato chips, French fries, and cookies. The more golden and fragrant they are, the higher the acrylamide content. Studies have shown that the average acrylamide content in fried potato chips is 547 micrograms per kilogram, while that in baked potato chips is as high as 3441 micrograms per kilogram. Even if potato chips don’t contain acrylamide, it’s still advisable to limit their consumption, as they are generally high in oil and salt.
• Various sauces, such as soybean paste and sweet bean paste, darken in color during fermentation, and the Maillard reaction also occurs during the fermentation process, resulting in small amounts of acrylamide. Even without the acrylamide issue, these foods are generally high in salt, so they should be avoided.
• Cocoa, chocolate, and coffee all contain roasted cocoa beans, a process that produces the Maillard reaction at high temperatures and therefore also contains acrylamide.
• Braised pork: During cooking, the darkening of the color triggers a more pronounced Maillard reaction, producing acrylamide. Although experiments have shown that braised pork contains only 42 micrograms/kg of acrylamide, less than 1/50th of the acrylamide found in coffee, potato chips, etc., it is high in calories and should be consumed in moderation; frequent consumption can lead to weight gain.
• Regarding stir-fried dishes: Studies in mainland China and Hong Kong have shown that vegetables and their products are the primary source of acrylamide intake, contributing approximately 50%.

Why vegetables and their products?

Because Chinese people generally stir-fry their food. The higher the temperature and the longer the stir-frying time, the more acrylamide precursors are present in the dish, and the more acrylamide is produced. The acrylamide levels in stir-fried vegetables like choy sum, water spinach, onions, zucchini, and bell peppers are significantly higher than those in stir-fried amaranth, spinach, Swiss chard, watercress, and bitter melon.

How to Reduce Acrylamide in Cooking?

• Blanching Vegetables Before Stir-frying is Essential

Blanching in boiling water before stir-frying can also reduce acrylamide levels. How to blanch? Use enough water to cover all vegetables; make sure the water is boiling before blanching. Blanch vegetables briefly—generally less than 30 seconds for leafy vegetables and about a minute for other vegetables. This method of blanching minimizes acrylamide, as well as harmful substances like nitrite and pesticide residues, while also preserving nutrients.

• Steam, boil, or eat vegetables more often

Eating vegetables raw, boiled, or steamed will not produce acrylamide, so the following is recommended:
A. Wash vegetables that can be eaten raw, such as cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, zucchini, and carrots, and use them in mixed salads or salads.
B. After blanching in boiling water, remove the vegetables, cool them, and drain. Mix with sesame paste or light soy sauce, sprinkle with cilantro and minced garlic, and serve.
C. Slice or shred the vegetables, add some corn flour or starch, and steam them in a steamer for 2 minutes after boiling. Remove from the heat and serve with a sauce of oil, vinegar, chili peppers, and light soy sauce.

• Dipping in batter reduces acrylamide.

Dipping food in batter before cooking acts as an additional protective barrier, reducing moisture loss and preventing browning, thereby reducing acrylamide formation.

• Baking potato chips. If baking potato chips, soak the sliced ​​

Potatoes in water for 15 to 30 minutes, then pat dry with paper towels. This can also reduce acrylamide formation during cooking. Also, avoid storing potatoes in the refrigerator (keep them in a cool, dark place). At low temperatures, some of the starch in the potatoes converts to free sugars, which react with amino acids in the food during high-temperature cooking to produce a large amount of acrylamide. When frying potatoes or baking bread, fry until golden brown or lighter. If the color turns dark brown or even burns, it will produce more acrylamide.

Instead of focusing on acrylamide and its uncertain cancer-causing properties, it’s more practical to concentrate on things like alcohol, tobacco, betel nut, and processed meats, which we already know can cause cancer in people. While it’s impossible to completely avoid acrylamide from food, a balanced diet can reduce cancer risk. So, rather than focusing on whether to eat or not eat a particular food, it’s more important to eat a balanced diet overall. Maintaining a balanced diet, including plenty of fruits and vegetables, careful cooking methods, and low-temperature cooking methods, as well as avoiding processed snacks and excessive fried and fatty foods, can help reduce your intake of high-acrylamide levels.

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