The french friesone of the most consumed snacks in the world, represent a real “comfort food” for millions of people. Whether fried, baked or other types, they are an integral part of our aperitifs and, in some cases, even of the daily diet (or almost) of many people. However, it is certainly not a good idea to consume them frequently, as behind their irresistible crunchy taste there are a series of pitfalls. Not only the presence of a lot of salt, flavorings and other controversial substances but also an unwelcome contaminant:acrylamide.
We are talking about a chemical substance that is formed during cooking at high temperatures, more specifically through a chemical process called the Maillard reaction, which occurs when foods containing sugars and amino acids are cooked at temperatures above 120°C. Not only chips, therefore, but also biscuits, cornflakes, coffee and other foods subjected to toasting or frying.
What are the health risks? Acrylamide is considered a “probable carcinogen” for humansaccording to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). This means that there is sufficient scientific evidence to suggest that acrylamide may increase the risk of developing cancer, although there is no definitive evidence yet. Chronic exposure to this substance, especially through a diet that includes large quantities of foods high in acrylamide, may therefore contribute to an increased risk of cancer.
As if this were not enough, acrylamide is also a genotoxic substance, meaning it can damage genetic material (DNA), which implies that it may be capable of causing mutations and other cellular alterations that could lead to malformations and problems with long-term health.
But going back to French fries, how much acrylamide do they really contain? To find out, a new test of Lifesaverhe compared 29 samples of chips, tortillas and vegetable snacks.
The results
Although the presence of acrylamide cannot be avoided entirely, the test results demonstrate that production methods, raw material selection and cooking techniques can make a big difference in its concentration. Some brands among those analyzed have in fact managed to maintain acrylamide levels well below the threshold indicated by the European Unionwhich for bagged chips is 750 micrograms per kilo, while others have shown worrying levels.
There is one important thing to specify: the acrylamide levels indicated by the European Union are only a guidetherefore companies are not obliged to comply with them. For a long time though NGOs, associations and citizens are calling for the EU to set binding limits and provides for sanctions for those who do not comply with them, especially in light of the possibility that acrylamide, already classified as a “probable carcinogen” by the IARC, could be reclassified as a “certain carcinogen” for humans, in light of new scientific evidence.
Returning to the test, obviously the chips that contained more acrylamide were penalized but, for example, the type of oil used (palm and coconut oils were penalized), artificial flavourings, synthetic colorings and others also negatively influenced the final judgement. unwelcome additives.
In particular, the original Fonzies were penalized for the abundant use of flavor enhancers, such as l‘E621 (monosodium glutamate), which in some people can trigger the so-called “Chinese restaurant syndrome”, with symptoms such as headaches, increased blood pressure and insulin disturbances.
Other additives such as E627 (disodium guanylyte) and E631 (disodium inosinate) have been considered problematic, as the accumulation of these ingredients in the body has been linked to some pathologies and harmful health effects. To these substances are added E471 (mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids) and E450i (disodium diphosphate), reported for their potential negative effects on the body.
But let’s now find out which chips were the worst among those analyzed.
The worst fries
The test “failed” 3 chips in the bag in particular, which obtained very low scores. These are:
To find out the complete results of the test, and therefore also the best chips, refer to the January issue of Salvagente.
