Fat chance for risk-free chips

Published on Sunday 7 October 2007 01:54

SEX, work, cars, school trips... they've all been made 'safe' in recent years. But now the humble chip is the focus of Government efforts to deliver a risk-free world.

British scientists have devised guidelines for a 'safety chip' that will allow us to keep guzzling deep-fried, sliced tubers by the tonne while reducing the chance of getting cancer.

Studies show that acrylamide, a chemical known to cause cancer in animals, is produced when chipped potatoes are cooked in fat at high temperatures.

Follow-up research for the Food Standards Agency has found simple methods of reducing the formation of the chemical, which it hopes will change cooking practices.

The new guidelines say potatoes should not be stored in the fridge and uncooked chips should be soaked in water for half an hour before frying. Consumers are also advised not to overcook chips. They should be removed while still yellow rather than brown.

There is bad news for fans of oven chips, millions of tonnes of which are bought on the basis that they contain less fat.

The guidelines say oven chips already contain raised acrylamide levels and should be cooked to the minimum time and at the exact temperatures suggested by the producer.

The research also considered varieties of potatoes and found that the common Desiree type was most likely to lead to raised acrylamide.

Commercially manufactured chips are already produced by methods that reduce acrylamide formation. The new guidelines are aimed at domestic cooks.

A spokesman for FSA Scotland said guidance already existed for the food industry to reduce the chemical through cooking processes.

"This updates people on what they can do at home," he said. "We are not saying don't eat chips. We are not changing our advice to consumers to eat a varied and balanced diet.

"But if you do want to reduce acrylamide levels during cooking at home then this is what you can do as a small but important step."

Acrylamide, which is officially classified as a possible human carcinogen, was first reported in cooked foods in 2002.

It was shown to be present mainly in carbohydrate-rich foods, with higher levels in crisps, potato chips and crispbread.

In 2005, an Expert Committee on Food Additives recommended appropriate actions to reduce its levels in food.

Subsequent research on cutting acrylamide levels was carried out for the FSA by Leatherhead Food International, a private research laboratory.

It found that the chemical was formed in domestically roasted, sauted, chipped and baked raw potatoes but not in those that had been boiled or microwaved.