Acrylamide is a chemical substance, known for its neurotoxicity – through animal studies – and also classified as potentially carcinogenic in humans. It forms naturally in starchy foods during high temperature cooking.
According to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), “the foods that contribute the most to the formation of acrylamide are fried or fried potatoes, black coffee in adults and sweet biscuits in children. “.
For its part, the World Health Organization (WHO) also cites crisps, processed cereals and even bread, among the sources of exposure, when cooked at more than 120°C.
Carbonized: no
Regarding the bread, the baking itself therefore appears to be in question. However, in 2008, the French health authority at the time (Afssa) was reassuring in relation to the possible risks for the consumer.
As for the question of toasting bread at home, EFSA provides an answer: “Toasting bread for five minutes instead of three minutes can increase the acrylamide content from 31μg/kg to 118μg/kg, depending on the type of bread and the temperature of the toaster. Consumption of well-toasted bread, however, increases the overall average dietary exposure by only 2.4%.
In this context, the National Food Safety Agency (ANSES) recommends “a few simple actions that can help reduce consumer exposure to acrylamide”:
- “watch the frying or cooking oil so as not to let it overheat”
- “do not over-brown the products”
- “do not consume the most browned areas during cooking, which are the richest in acrylamide”. This can mean for toasted bread, to remove the dark or even blackened parts, when it comes out of the toaster
Sources: FSA, Acrylamide – Anses, Acrylamide in foods, Update on the presence of acrylamide in foodstuffs. Sites consulted on 18 April 2023 – Afssa – Request No. 2008-SA-0215 Maisons-Alfort
2023-04-29 09:03:17
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