[yoyonomoreinvegas]

About acrylamide?

I happened to hear about FritoLay settling a law suit with the state of California over not printing warnings about the levels of this potentially cancer causing chemical in their potato chips. Here is a little excerpt from the article. I happened to catch this in the business news but I haven't seen it anywhere else.

"Acrylamide is a byproduct of frying, roasting or baking foods that contain certain amino acids, according to Brown's statement. In 2002, Swedish scientists discovered high levels of cancer-causing acrylamide in fried-potato products. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is studying acrylamide in fried potatoes but hasn't taken formal action, Brown said."

Apparently, this chemical is the byproduct of cooking foods (particularly starchy foods like potatos) at too high a temperature. Anyone else heard of this before?

One more reason to avoid that deep fried stuff

[yoyonomoreinvegas]

Originally Posted by txsqlchick

New Scientist reported it six years ago.

Oh, well that explains it - 6 years ago I wasn't paying much attention to what I was putting in myself

[megwini]

Hope this is okay to bump. This is the only thread that came up when I searched acrylamide. Anyone else have thoughts? I know eating tons of fried foods isn't the best diet since we should have some raw foods too, and some water-cooked ones. But I do happen to like me some crispy, browned veggies a LOT. I wonder how bad this acrylamide stuff really is. I know everything's okay in moderation, but I do saute an awful lot. What are your guys' thoughts on the matter?

[luckymommy]

I actually never heard of this before. I think sauteing isn't the problem since you don't use such high temperature as in deep frying. Also, veggies aren't the same as potatoes, as far as starch levels. Finally, my hunch is that the type of oil you use has a lot to do with it as well. I personally think Safflower oil is ideal for high temperatures. Olive oil should only be consumed on very low temperatures..ideally raw.

[WebRover]

Originally Posted by luckymommy

Olive oil should only be consumed on very low temperatures..ideally raw.

I see this from time to time, but haven't seen research one way or the other. I tried to find a government backed report on oils and wasn't successful. It's possible that there is confusion about the effects heat used to extract oil vs. heat used to cook with oil.

North American Olive Oil Association
Can I fry with olive oil?

Not only can you fry, you can sauté, stir fry and even deep fry with olive oil. You can even filter olive oil and use it many times, since it’s very stable at high temperatures.

Of course, the NAOOA has an interest in promoting use of olive oil.

The Olive Oil Source
... extra virgin olive oil smokes roughly between 400 and 365ºF (204 and 185ºC) depending on its free fatty acid content. Here is what the International Olive Oil Council (IOOC) has to say about frying food with olive oil:

When heated, olive oil is the most stable fat, which means it stands up well to high frying temperatures. Its high smoke point (410ºF or 210ºC) is well above the ideal temperature for frying food (356ºF or 180ºC). The digestibility of olive oil is not affected when it is heated, even when it is re-used several times for frying.

Again The Olive Oil Source sells Olive Oil. The International Olive Oil Council defines olive oil purity levels and has an interest in the success of Olive Oil producers.

It is very confusing as groups promoting other oils will suggest that any heating of olive oil at all is harmful. Generations of people have been using olive oil at moderate heats to cook foods in the Mediterranean and living healthy lives.