If chips is part of your regular menu , especially of your children`s, you must know the damages it may cause you

During the frying process of the chips a chemical called acrylamide is being released.

Acrylamide has been detected in a range of foods including fried or roasted potatoes,cereal based products, biscuits, crackers, toasts, roasted nuts and coffee.

Its hard to estimate the exact quantity that can trigger health issues. There is evidence that in animals it causes cancer while in human various researches show that it damages some systems including the nervous system.

Acrylamide is not added to food but it forms as a reaction? of a starchy component of the food to high temperature during baking or frying .therefore its essential to avoid frying in higher temperature than 175 c? and avoid burning the oil or the chips.

How to minimise risks:

• If you have to eat chips its better to have home made chips
• Its recommended to soak the chips before frying , for 15-30 min, in water to minimise the starches which produce the acrylamide
• Try and have roast potatoes instead of chips and don?t use higher temperature than 200c
• When toasting your bread avoid charring it
• Store potatoes in a dark area to avoid production of compounds which promote acrylamide

There are a number of ways you can eat less acrylamide such as following balanced diet and preferring steamed or boiled food.

Ref foodstandards.gov.au