Burnt food (acrylamide) and cancer

What is acrylamide? Well, when starchy food such as bread and potatoes is cooked until it’s dark brown, a substance called acrylamide is formed.

It can be formed when food is:

• fried
• grilled
• baked
• toasted
• roasted

Acrylamide is not added to food. It’s a natural part of the cooking process. You will find it in many products that have been cooked above 120°C such as:

• roasted potatoes
• crisps
• chips
• bread
• breakfast cereals
• biscuits
• cakes
• coffee

What’s the link between acrylamide and cancer?

In 2017, the UK’s Food Standards Agency recommended that foods with a high starch content should be cooked to a golden yellow colour, rather than brown.

This advice came after studies in mice showed a link between acrylamide and cancer. But this research has not being carried out on humans, and rodent studies are not directly translatable to humans.

We funded research into the link between acrylamide and cancer on a large study of people in Europe. This research looked at around 368,000 women in 10 European countries. It measured how much acrylamide they consumed and the risk of womb and ovarian cancers. The study didn’t find any strong evidence between eating acrylamide and risk of these cancers.

Overall, studies on acrylamide and cancer in humans show that the amounts of acrylamide we consume probably doesn’t increase the risk of cancer significantly. If you have a healthy, balanced diet rich in vegetables, fruit, pulses (such chickpeas) and wholegrains (such as brown rice), the amount of acrylamide you eat will be small.

Should I try to reduce my acrylamide intake?

As acrylamide is in many products, it’s hard to completely avoid it. But you can limit the amount you take in. Most of the acrylamide we consume comes from chips and crisps, so eat these less often. If you cook or fry potatoes, do so until they’re golden rather than dark brown.

There hasn’t been research on whether toasted bread contains more acrylamide, but it’s likely to have high levels.

What we recommend

More research is needed on the impact of acrylamide on cancer risk in humans. If you want to cut the level of acrylamide in your diet, follow the UK Food Standards Agency advice. Aim for a golden yellow colour when baking, toasting or roasting starchy foods such as potatoes and bread.