Recently, a news about "carcinogens detected in food heated in air fryers" has become a hot topic. A survey tested 10 common air fryers on the Korean market, and the results showed that four of them produced acrylamide, a carcinogen that is dangerous to health, during the cooking process.

This has always been "healthy" as the selling point of the air fryer is very embarrassing. Said "no oil is healthier", how there are carcinogens? In fact, the principle of air fryer is very simple, is the use of mechanical principles, in the fryer to produce a continuous high temperature airflow inside the food "dry". The carcinogen acrylamide is produced in this heating process.

Acrylamide doesn't just appear out of nowhere, and it's not uncommon. When carbohydrates and proteins are exposed to high temperatures, acrylamide is inevitably generated. Although air fryers are processed without oil, the ingredients themselves will contain carbohydrates and proteins as nutrients. When these ingredients are heated at high temperatures in an air fryer, a chemical reaction occurs that generates acrylamide.

More than an air fryer can produce acrylamide, it can be said that as long as the high temperature of the cooking methods, such as: deep frying, baking, grilling and other processes will be generated. We often eat potato chips, french fries, barbecue, etc. more or less will produce acrylamide.

Acrylamide is unlikely to disappear from the daily diet, different countries and regions have different eating habits. The food sources of acrylamide intake are also different. Europe and the United States are mainly ingested through coffee, frying, baking, etc., while China's stir-fried vegetables are the main source of intake. If you must reduce the intake of acrylamide, you can choose the cooking method of steaming and stewing, and reduce the frying and grilling and other high-temperature cooking methods with temperatures exceeding 200 degrees Celsius.

While acrylamide is on the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Cancer Prevention List, classified as a Group 2A carcinogen (i.e., possibly carcinogenic), there is no need to worry too much about it. It's important to realize that ham, bacon and alcohol, betel nut, and Chinese salted fish are all class 1 carcinogens, one step above class 2A.

If you have to explain the difference between Class 1 and Class 2A in a non-rigorous way: Class 1 carcinogens mean that there is solid evidence that long-term intake of large quantities of ham, bacon, and alcohol, which are all Class 1 carcinogens, will result in a markedly higher probability of cancer in the human body (not a certainty). 2A carcinogens mean that there is evidence that long-term intake of large quantities of Class 2A carcinogens such as acrylamide will result in the possibility of cancer in the human body. carcinogen, it is possible to get cancer.

For consumers, there is no need to talk about "carcinogens" when they hear the word "carcinogens". Maintaining healthy eating habits, a balanced diet, and proper exercise is the only way to stay healthy. For the air fryer, consumers can still rest assured that the use of.