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Count Chemicals Not Calories

Count Chemicals Not Calories

Tuesday 19th April 2022

There are no legal requirements in the UK to stop food manufacturers producing foods with toxic levels of acrylamide.

Acrylamide is a carcinogen see cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/diet/acrylamide-fact-sheet for more information.

Most baked products at high temperaturs create acrylamide though the levels vary enormously. This is where the problem is - how do you know which foods have toxic levels v foods that do not. You do not know.

A well known matzos brand sells GF matzos containing potato flour with a warning on the side of the box "stating high levels of acrylamide". Maybe as it is a U.S. product it has a legal obligation to do this. Though in the UK, there does not appear to be any legality on food labelling for these toxins. There is a loop hole to state as long food manufacturers do their best in lowering these levels, then it's ok.

Lowest forms of acrylamide in flat breads were found in quinoa, sorghum and brown rice. These carcinogens are found mainly in grains and potatoes, not in meat, dairy or fish.

Remember, there is no law to report these levels to the consumer.

TIPS

Keep raw potatoes in a dark cupboard not fridge as this reduces levels of acrylamide when cooking.

Eat as much raw food as you can digest - salads, smoothies, pickles, unroasted nuts and seeds, cold pressed oils.

Consume a rainbow of colour to protect your DNA from free radical damage.

RESOURCES

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30730568/
https://www.foodnavigator.com/Article/2017/04/04/Dangerous-acrylamide-levels-found-in-one-in-five-crisps-report-reveals
https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/diet/acrylamide-fact-sheet