Frying, baking or roasting certain foods causes the formation of acrylamide. It is a carcinogen found in cigarette smoke. It is official. Death tastes good.
Acrylamide formation is unavoidable during these types of high-temperature cooking. The sugars and amino acids found in most plant-based foods combine to form acylamide under high heat. The offending compound springs from naturally-occurring precursors found in plants, not from fertilizers or pesticides.
The FDA
just released industry guidelines pertaining to acrylamides in food, and they've been tracking it since it was discovered in 2002. Here's their recommendations if you want to stay healthy:
FDA's best advice for acrylamide and eating is that consumers adopt a healthy eating plan, consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2010), that emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products; includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts; and is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium) and added sugars.
Which is pretty much no different from before. We're guessing cut down on fried foods perhaps?
[
FDA via
WSJ]