Lure of chips and crisps may spell danger

The presence of a possible cancer-causing chemical in crisps and chips is closely associated with the very process which makes such foods attractive to us, scientists have found.

Acrylamide, which is known to produce cancer in animals and is suspected of being a human carcinogen too, is formed in food, especially potato and cereals, as a result of high-temperature cooking.

But in yet another example of what we like possibly proving to be bad for us, a seminar in Dublin yesterday heard that acrylamide is produced by the same process that gives chips, crisps and oven-baked potatoes their characteristic browning and flavour.

Swedish expert Dr Karl-Erik Hellanäs said both results arose from the reaction of amino acids with sugars such as glucose and fructose. He concluded that the presence of acrylamide was therefore closely associated "with the taste qualities sought, and appreciated, by the consumer".

The seminar was hosted by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland to provide an overview of current knowledge about acrylamide in food. It heard Swiss findings that prolonged storage of raw potatoes at low temperatures causes an increase in sugar content and hence, when the potatoes are cooked, in acrylamide.

The chemical is mainly used in industry, where its indirect uses include the treatment of effluent. It is considered genotoxic, or DNA-damaging. But the FSAI's chief specialist in toxicology, Dr Iona Pratt, said its contribution to diet-related cancer in humans remained a matter for speculation. Acrylamide has not been found in boiled potatoes.

The deputy chief executive of FSAI, Dr Alan O'Reilly, said the introduction of carcinogenic substances into food during manufacture is prohibited. The dilemma, he added, was that acrylamide is formed in both commercial and domestic cooking and frying, and levels are very difficult to control.

Dr O'Reilly stressed the importance of a healthy balanced diet, containing plenty of fruit and vegetables, and avoiding excessive amounts of fried, starchy foods. Food should not be overcooked at high temperatures, he added.