Guest Blog: Crunchy Toast Could Give You Cancer, Experts Warned
A new study has revealed that eating crunchy toast can lead to cancer. The study, conducted by the UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA), found that overcooked toast has high levels of a chemical that can potentially cause cancer. So what is this culprit and how do high levels of it make its way to a classic home-cooked favorite? The chemical that’s at the spotlight of this new study is called acrylamide, a proven carcinogen. When subjected to temperatures over 120 degrees Celsius, an amino acid called asparagine, the sugars, and the waters found in bread react with one another and form acrylamide. This also happens when other starchy foods, such as potatoes and chips, are roasted beyond the acceptable level. The same is also true for some breakfast cereals, biscuits, and crackers. As of press time, acrylamide is considered by the US Environmental Protection Agency to be “likely to be carcinogenic to humans.” The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which is the cancer centre...