A new study has found that potatoes that are immersed in hot water before frying have their acrylamide content reduced by up to 90%. The finding is part of a research project under the direction of the Danish Institute for Food and Veterinary Research.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
The study found that the acrylamide level of deep-fried potatoes, a high acrylamide content food, was halved after a nine minute bath in 90C water, Norwegian news agency NPK reports. A 40-minute soak in 70C water reduced acrylamide levels by fully 90%.
The EU Commission is currently working on guidelines to reduce acrylamide levels in foodstuffs, leading to research projects across Europe. According to NPK, the Danish results are similar to findings in ongoing Norwegian research.
Acrylamides came into the spotlight after a Swedish study in April 2002 indicated that the high temperatures associated with cooking certain types of foods produced surprisingly high levels of the potential carcinogen.
