John Myers
Researchers first discovered in 2002 that acrylamide causes harm to health. They found that acrylamide is formed in large amounts when starchy foods are fried, baked, grilled, or roasted.
Increased risk of cancer from potato chips
According to a Dutch study from Maastricht University, published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, women who eat about one serving of potato chips a day have a 50% increased risk of developing ovarian or endometrial cancer (cancer of the inner lining). the membrane of the uterus) to become ill.
Previous studies have already shown that acrylamide is carcinogenic in the laboratory. However, the Dutch study is the first to demonstrate a link between dietary acrylamide intake and cancer.
Risk for women
For this study, researchers examined the cancer rates of 62,000 women 11 years after they completed a questionnaire about their dietary habits.
The researchers found that women who consumed 40 micrograms or more of acrylamide per day were twice as likely to develop ovarian or uterine cancer than women who consumed significantly less acrylamide through food.
The amount of 40 micrograms is already contained in one serving of potato chips.
Questionable levels of acrylamide in food
A spokesman for the European Union explained that the amount of acrylamide in food increases significantly when the temperature of the fat used is very high. It is therefore important to ensure that French fries or baked potatoes, for example, are golden yellow instead of golden brown. In general, it is important to ensure that carbohydrate-rich foods are not baked, fried, or toasted for too long.
Every year, thousands of women are diagnosed with endometrial cancer and one in 40 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Despite this ratio, ovarian cancer is now the fifth leading cause of cancer death in women.
Devastating results in the Oko-Test
In a study by the Frankfurt consumer magazine OKO-TEST, an unbelievable 17 of 28 types of crisps examined failed with the grade “insufficient”. The exact test results are in the July issue of the OKO-TEST magazine, which was published nationwide on June 30, 2008.
Lots of contaminants in potato chips
More than half of the chips examined were full to the brim with the fat pollutant 3-MCPD fatty acid ester. A portion of the crispy slices is often enough to exceed the daily tolerable intake by a multiple.
No wonder, because the pollutants get into the chips with the frying fat and, as is well known, there are plenty of these in the snacks. Incidentally, products made with sunflower oil tended to perform better.
An old problem is the cancer toxin acrylamide, which is inevitably produced during the manufacture of crisps. Nevertheless, manufacturers can optimize their production methods and thus ensure that only small amounts of acrylamide are in the product.
However, most of the test products showed “increased” and “greatly increased” levels of contamination in the OKO-TEST study when half a bag was eaten.
