Scorched food, particularly bread, contains acrylamide, and there’s strong evidence to show that this chemical can cause cancer in humans. “Go for gold” may not be a piece of health advice that you’re familiar with but it’s one that we’re supposed to be following. Rather than alluding to our sporting efforts, it refers to the colour that our food should be after we’ve toasted, baked, fried, grilled or roasted it.
Is burnt toast a health risk? The worry is that scorched food – particularly bread and vegetables – contains acrylamide. The nasty chemical is not something naturally present in what we eat. Instead, it forms in these starchy foods when cooked at temperatures higher than 120C (248F).
This is due to a reaction between the sugar it contains and a naturally-occurring amino acid called asparagine. Boiling and steaming don’t produce acrylamide..
