The Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) ‘Go for Gold’ campaign is warning people about the cancer risks of eating burned toast, oven-roasted potatoes and other cooked starchy foods. When roasted, fried or grilled for too long at high temperatures, the chemical compound acrylamide is formed in these foods, which can cause cancer in rodents. The World Health Organization says acrylamide is “probably carcinogenic to humans”. The FSA recommends aiming for a golden yellow colour or lighter when frying, baking, toasting or roasting starchy foods.
However, Cancer Research UK’s Emma Shields says the link is not clear and consistent in humans. “To be safe, reduce exposure by following a normal healthy, balanced diet – which includes eating fewer high-calorie foods, like crisps, chips and biscuits, which are the major sources of acrylamide,” she says.