[ad_1]
Acrylamide appeared a few months ago when the State of California in the United States imposed on the cafeteria Starbucks the obligation to inform the consumers about the possibility of developing cancer by ingesting coffee . Many readers were surprised by the news because they did not suspect that morning's rich coffee contained acrylamide, a substance cataloged by WHO as a "probable human carcinogen" .
The Truth Is Compliance With Laws The California Drinking Water and Toxic Substances Regulations require companies to warn consumers of certain products that may be in danger. dangerous. And the coffee would not be less.
But what is acrylamide?
As explained by the National Cancer Council on its website, this substance is produced when products containing the amino acid asparagine as potatoes, are heated at high temperature in the presence of certain sugars. Tobacco smoke, for example, has acrylamide. In particular, the foods on which this substance abounds, according to this body, are potato chips, biscuits and bread, breakfast cereals, canned black olives, plum juice and coffee
. The consumption of acrylamide has motivated the biotechnology industry to study a possible variety that is not generated during frying. Thus, the United States Department of Agriculture approved in 2014 the cultivation of transgenic potatoes that have the distinction of not forming acrylamides for cooking. The patent for this tuber is under the responsibility of J.R.Simplot Company and is authorized only in the United States. That said, the next question many will ask is this because it seems impossible to give up their consumption: is there a way to reduce the presence of acrylamide in these products? Affirmative Yes, there is
Better if coffee is a coffee machine
According to Moisés Chacón popularizer and author of the blog # No + additives & # 39; There is a series of guidelines that if we start practicing, they will help us reduce that element. However, this expert warns that "we must not obsess, just adopt some small and simple changes in our consumption habits to reduce our exposure to certain toxic substances, but without extremism"
In the specific case of Coffee, Chacón explains that the only thing that matters is how to prepare it and whether it is decaffeinated.Therefore, the type of roasting or grinding is indifferent.So, according to a study of the Institute of Agricultural Research and Development of the Basque Country Coffee with less acrylamide is the one prepared in a coffee or coffee machine with American filter.Espresso coffee is the second with the least of this substance This category also includes t Italian coffeemaker and capsule as they share a similar preparation system.
For its part, the soluble is the one that has the highest concentration of acrylamide. And if in addition to soluble, it is decaffeinated "worse than worse," stresses Chacón. In the latter case, he advises to take the decaffeinated machine instead of the soluble and, in this way, to lower the levels. To complete his explanation, Chacón recalls that, according to the different Food Safety Agencies it is not proven that there is a risk for habitual consumption, but it is still advisable to reduce the consumption of toxic substances to avoid the risks
How to avoid acrylamide in potatoes?
Potatoes embody another important front in which we must fight to reduce acrylamide especially if we prepare them at home because 'they tend to contain more acrylamide than those who serve us in a fast food restaurant. The explanation lies in the greater control of frying temperatures, an aspect that we can not dominate at home. "
The truth is that, as detailed, in the potatoes cooked in the pan abound this substance, but its presence is reduced when we We have opted for the traditional oil and air fryers.In the latter two cases we must not exceed 170º .And regardless of its cooking, Chacón also has some suggestions: better fresh potatoes than frozen do not keep them in the fridge because they encourage their training and, if possible, soaking for 30 minutes before frying (5 minutes in the case that the water is already hot) .It also recommends rejecting potatoes that have begun to sprout because "they contain more starch and, therefore, they will produce more acrylamide when cooked."
Simply with small, simple changes, we can reduce no to be added to the results of a recent study of the Institute of Food Engineering for Development of the Polytechnic University of Valencia who discovered that scalding affects the reduction of the amount of this substance in French fries. According to comments Ana Andrés, Ana Heredia and Mariola Sansano of the Institute of food engineering for the development of the UPV the maximum responsible for the Study, "toxicity, among other factors, it depends on the weight, and in children, those who eat the most fries, the level of toxicity is reached faster, which means that there is a general interest of the scientific community in potato reduction strategies. "
Source link
