Toast, roast potatoes and even CHIPS could give you cancer, claims Government

The FAS has advised eating crispy roast potatoes can increase your chances of cancer

TOAST, roast potatoes and even chips can now give you cancer, according to the Government.

 

A new study by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has revealed the nation's favourite roast dinner accompaniment could be harming your health. 

The Government’s food safety watchdog measured the amount of acrylamide - a chemical produced naturally in food  when baked or fried - in roasties and even toast. 

 

Worryingly, both the breakfast food and the Sunday-favourite contain high levels of a cancer-causing chemical. 

Given the shocking new information, the FSA have advised the nation cook their roast potatoes and home-made chips to a light golden colour - the lightest colour acceptable - rather than crisp and crunchy. 

 



The act of fluffing your potatoes can increase the chances of cancer



Professor Guy Poppy, the FSA’s Chief Scientific Adviser, said: "The risk assessment indicates that at the levels we are exposed to from food, acrylamide could be increasing the risk of cancer.

"We do not advise people to stop eating particular foods but... when making chips at home, they are cooked to a light golden colour."

The research also advises against the act of 'fluffing' up a roast potato. This is when one takes a par-cooked potato and shakes it about in a pan of hot oil in the hope of achieving a crisp and even coverage. 

It's believed the increased surface created by 'fluffing' may lead to greater acrylamide generation.

 

This advice was posted on the FSA website yesterday

Researchers gave three top tips on how to reduce the amount of acrylamide in roast potatoes and chips

• Parboil potatoes first before roasting them because it reduces the free sugars that generate acrylamides
• Store your potatoes in a cupboard rather than fridge - low temperatures increases the amount of sugar and sweetness in the potato, leading to more acrylamide when cooked
• Cooks should not fluff their parboiled potatoes before roasting - it's believed doing so increases the surface area which in turn increases levels of acrylamide