High levels of acrylamide, a proven carcinogen, have been found in browned toast and caramelised roast potatoes, leading to warnings from Britain’s Food Standards Agency to avoid overcooking these foods. The crispiest toast contains around 19 times more acrylamide than lightly toasted bread, says the agency’s latest scientific report, as reported by 6minutes. “The risk assessment indicates that at the levels we are exposed to from food, acrylamide could be increasing the risk of cancer,” says the FSA’s chief scientific adviser, Professor Guy Poppy. While the agency is not suggesting people avoid their morning toast or crispy potatoes and hot chips, it has issued cooking advice for consumers. It recommends that chips and roast potatoes be “cooked to a light golden colour”. Bread should be toasted to “the lightest colour acceptable”. The research highlighted by the FSA shows a correlation between high temperatures and acrylamides. It also shows a link between acrylamide levels and duration of cooking. The palest, most minimally cooked piece of toast contains nine microgrammes of the chemical per kg while the crispiest piece of toast contains 167 microgrammes, according to the study. Similar results were found in the case of both hot chips and roast potatoes with the palest chips containing 50 times less than the most well-cooked fries. Source