You have asked us if the ‘socarrat’ in paella is carcinogenic. As we have already explained to you in relation to French fries and breast cancer, although at the moment there is no evidence that there is a direct connection between food and tumors, some studies suggest that acrylamidea substance contained in French fries, could increase the risk of different types of cancerusually.
According to him National Cancer Institute (INC), the main source of exposure to this substance is the smoke of the tabacco. Then there would be some foods such as biscuits and bread, breakfast cereals, canned black olives, prune juice, coffee, and the aforementioned potato chips. Nevertheless, “its concentration varies depending on the manufacturer and the cooking time, method and temperature.
Hay studies performed with mice who have found a relationship between exposure to acrylamide and the risk of various types of cancer. But on the other hand toxicology studies show that humans and rodents absorb and metabolize it at different rates and forms, Therefore, according to the INC, more epidemiological studies are needed.
How to reduce the formation of acrylamide in food
On the other hand, since the risk that acrylamide poses to humans is not clear, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA, for its acronym in English) elaborated in 2016 a guide that collects the recommendations on how to reduce the formation of acrylamide in food for both consumers and industry.
“Decrease the cooking time to prevent food from overcooking or browning, blanch the potatoes before frying them, do not store them in the refrigerator and dry them in a hot air oven after frying them are some of the ways to reduce the content of acrylamide in some foods”, explains the INC in this article.
First publication date of this article: 01/19/2020
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