Bread, chips and potatoes should be cooked to a golden yellow colour, rather than brown, to reduce our intake of a chemical which could cause cancer, government food scientists are warning.
Acrylamide is produced when starchy foods are roasted, fried or grilled for too long at high temperatures.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) recommends carefully following cooking instructions and avoiding browning.
However, a Cancer Research spokeswoman said the link was not proven in humans.
The FSA also says potatoes should not be kept in the fridge.
This is because sugar levels in the potatoes rise at low temperatures, potentially increasing the amount of acrylamide produced during cooking.
Q&A: Acrylamide - should we give up toast?
Acrylamide is present in many different types of food and is a natural by-product of the cooking process.
The highest levels of the substance are found in foods with high starch content which have been cooked above 120C, such as
crisps, bread, breakfast cereals, biscuits, crackers, cakes and coffee.
Source:-BBC
Acrylamide is produced when starchy foods are roasted, fried or grilled for too long at high temperatures.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) recommends carefully following cooking instructions and avoiding browning.
However, a Cancer Research spokeswoman said the link was not proven in humans.
The FSA also says potatoes should not be kept in the fridge.
This is because sugar levels in the potatoes rise at low temperatures, potentially increasing the amount of acrylamide produced during cooking.
Q&A: Acrylamide - should we give up toast?
Acrylamide is present in many different types of food and is a natural by-product of the cooking process.
The highest levels of the substance are found in foods with high starch content which have been cooked above 120C, such as
crisps, bread, breakfast cereals, biscuits, crackers, cakes and coffee.
Source:-BBC
