German food makers have agreed to recommend that chips be cooked at lower temperatures to reduce the build up of a possible cancer-causing compound, acrylamide, the consumer affairs ministry said last week.
Germany launched an inquiry last year to find out how to minimize acrylamide levels in response to a Swedish study which found the compound formed in foods that were fried or baked at high temperatures. The Swedish research triggered a worldwide health scare. Acrylamide has been designated for years as a possible cancer-causing agent.
In the future, packaging in Germany will recommend that potato chips are deep fried at 175 degrees Celsius (347 degrees Fahrenheit) or baked in fan ovens at 180-190C, the ministry said.
Acrylamide has been shown to lead to a higher incidence of cancer in rats, although two studies of factory workers exposed to the compound found no evidence of increased risk, according to a 2002 report from EU scientists.
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