Eating more fried foods can cause cancer. Instant coffee also contains carcinogens.

The Ministry of Health issued notice No. 4 of this year on the morning of the 13th, advising the public to avoid cooking starchy foods for long periods of time or at high temperatures as far as possible, and to change the eating habits of fried and high-fat foods to reduce possible health hazards caused by intake of carcinogen acrylamide.

Starch food is easy to cause cancer when cooked at high temperature.

Acrylamide is a chemical substance that is the raw material for the production of polyacrylamide and can be used for industrial purposes such as sewage purification, the notice said. Starch food is easy to produce acrylamide when cooked at high temperature (> 120℃). The results of animal experiments show that acrylamide is a possible carcinogen. Epidemiological observations of occupationally exposed people showed that long-term low-dose exposure to acrylamide resulted in symptoms such as drowsiness, mood and memory changes, hallucinations and tremors, accompanied by peripheral neuropathy (glove-like sensation, sweating and muscle weakness). Although the effects of acrylamide on human health need to be further studied, this problem should be paid attention to.

Potato fries have a high carcinogenic rate.

The monitoring results of the Food Pollutant Monitoring Network of the Ministry of Health show that the content of acrylamide in starch foods processed at high temperature (such as fried potato chips and fried French fries) is higher, and the average content of acrylamide in potato fried foods is 4 times higher than that in cereal fried foods. Chinese residents eat more fried food and have a large amount of exposure, so long-term low-dose exposure has potential harm.

Instant coffee also contains carcinogens

According to the data provided by the Institute of Nutrition and Food Safety of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, among the more than 100 samples monitored, the foods with more acrylamide content are potato fried food, cereal fried food and cereal baked food. Other foods, such as instant coffee, mugi-cha and corn tea also contain acrylamide.

The intake of children is 2 to 3 times that of adults.

According to an assessment of acrylamide intake in 17 countries around the world, acrylamide intake in children is 2 to 3 times higher than that in adults by weight.

Expert opinion

Oncology expert: the theory of carcinogenesis has long been a final conclusion

"it has long been concluded in academic circles that fried food can cause cancer." The day before yesterday, Meng Xiangzhu of the China Cancer Research Foundation told reporters that fried, barbecue and other foods are far more harmful to human health than the well-known Sudan red: "just like smoking, long-term intake of fried foods can cause a variety of tumors."

Academician Sun Yan, a famous oncologist, once said in an interview that Western-style fast food is one of the killers of human cancer.

Nutrition expert: occasional consumption does little harm

Experts from the nutrition department of Union Hospital told reporters that no matter how harmful acrylamide is to the human body, occasionally eating fried foods will not do much harm to the body, but this process is the same as smoking may induce lung cancer. It is a process of "toxic" long-term accumulation, and long-term consumption will certainly pose a great threat to health. In addition, fried foods are extremely high in calories and fat, and long-term intake of such high fat will also lead to obesity or some related diseases, such as diabetes, coronary heart disease and hyperlipidemia.

Local survey

Knowing that it is harmful, it is hard to give up "delicious".

Yesterday, the reporter saw in several "foreign fast food" restaurants in our city that there are still many customers who eat fried foods such as French fries, regardless of men and women, young and old. The staff of the "foreign fast food" restaurant told reporters that I believe most diners know this common sense about the harm of baked and fried food, but there are still many customers. "I will see the same child show up in the store four or five times in a week." The staff member told the reporter with great certainty.

The reporter then asked a number of customers who were eating French fries in the store, and the survey found that most of them knew something about the harm of baked and fried food to the human body, but in the face of the convenience and delicacy of fast food, they said it was very difficult to give up. "maybe it's like smoking. Everyone knows that smoking is harmful to your health, but how many smokers will quit?" A gentleman who was about to eat said to the reporter. (reporter Liu Li Huang Tianyu)

The Consumer Council reminds me

Eat less coking and smoked food

Long-term excessive consumption of coking and smoked foods may lead to cancer. Yesterday, the expert group of Chongqing Consumer Commission held a special seminar on the safety of smoked food, especially reminding the public to eat less coking and smoked food as much as possible. (reporter Gong Yu's intern is easy to know)

Foreign fast food "counterattack"

Fried Youtiao also contains carcinogens

Beijing, Beijing (Xinhua) yesterday, some enterprises suspected of producing similar products issued a statement, but without exception, their statements did not give a positive explanation.

In the face of an official warning, McDonald's (China) Development Company said yesterday that all people and places that produce and sell food, whether they cook their own meals at home, or bakeries, coffee shops, food stores, restaurants, stadiums, street vendors or high-end restaurants, will be affected by this issue without exception, the Beijing Times reported.

KFC said yesterday that it would issue a statement today. A person from KFC, who spoke on condition of anonymity, first complained that as long as it is starchy food cooked at high temperature, acrylamide may be produced, not limited to "foreign fast food", but also many Chinese food, including fried Youtiao.

The statement issued by Nestl é China at 8 o'clock last night also dodged the problem. Nestl é first accused the scientific and medical community that it had only recently noticed the presence of the compound in foods such as home baking and frying. Acrylamide existed as early as when humans began to cook or heat food. Nestl é also said that preliminary results show that the health risks caused by the intake of acrylamide through food consumption have not yet been determined.