5 ms·
There is a huge difference between "incredibly carcinogenic" and "potentially carcinogenic". Basically everything that comes out of a pan or fryer and is even
by corty 5y ago
There is a huge difference between "incredibly carcinogenic" and "potentially carcinogenic".
Basically everything that comes out of a pan or fryer and is even slightly darker than "basically raw" will have some carcinogenic compounds. Frying any biomatter will create some measurable quantity of carcinogens, depending on the temperature and composition. First you will get the likes of Acrylamide, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (e.g. Furan), Amines. In the presence of salt, spices, certain oils you can get even nastier stuff like Dioxines. And if you heat it even further, getting a few black spots, you are left with basic carbon. Even that isn't harmless, carbon modifications that you will produce in some minute quantity, like nanotubes and fullerenes, are carcinogenic.
Denaturing hydrocarbons like in cooking will inevitably produce some of the above compounds, there is no way around it. You can try to avoid producing some of them by carefully steering conditions in a way that reduces some of the above compounds. But usually that increases the risk of other ones being produced. You can also undercook everything, but then you'll be left with unsafe food because of the bacterial risk.
All of the above are carcinogenic in (comparatively) huge quantities. Usually "in mice". The link to cancers caused by preparation of food is vague at best, totally speculative at worst. I don't worry about it, and neither should you.
If you really want to learn about risky foodstuff, read up about cyanide in almonds and other fruits with a stone (people even eat that stuff "for health reasons"..., e.g. https://www.webmd.com/cancer/cancer-apricot-seeds https://www.webmd.com/cancer/cancer-apricot-seeds ), coumarin (basically an anticoagulant, in higher doses rat poison) in cinnamon, tonka beans and woodruff, and the funny flourinated compounds you get from overheated PTFE-coated cookware (the presence of acid lowers the "fun" temperature but at least might prevent production of gaseous hydroflouric acid). There, the risky dose is much much much closer to the usual kitchen use. In comparison, all of the kitchen cancer scare is harmless.
- jefftk 5y ago> Denaturing hydrocarbons like in cooking will inevitably produce some of the above compounds, there is no way around it. You can try to avoid producing some of them by carefully steering conditions in a way that reduces some of the above compounds. But usually that increases the risk of other ones being produced. You can also undercook everything, but then you'll be left with unsafe food because of the bacterial risk. You can use the sous vide approach, cooking to the safe temperature and no higher. But browning is tasty and the cancer contribution is very low.
- wiz21c 5y agoYep the "sous-vide" thing has been reported to me as the safest approach by a lab specializing in the design of new food for top cooks and industrial food. But you have to buy new cookware... And theses things are not exactly cheap (if you want something that works reliably)...
- tstrimple 5y agoSous vide is relatively inexpensive. You just need a container big enough (plenty of people use plastic or styrofoam coolers) and entry level Sous vide machine are a little over $100 last I checked. All the device does is recirculate water and it heat up to a certain temp for a few hours. Not much to them.
- jefftk 5y agoYes: if someone wanted to switch entirely from traditional cooking to sous vide they would need much less equipment, and it would be cheaper. (Not that I would want to give up browning)
- BBC-vs-neolibs 5y agoI'm wary of the use of plastic in sous vide. What about softeners in plastic and unknown hormonal imbalances because of plastic.
- hansvm 5y agoWhen I was low on funds I prepared a quasi sous vide with an ice chest and just manually adding hot water every ~20min (hot tap water is close to enough, you only have to boil like one extra pot). I cooked it a few degrees (F) hotter because the temperature variation was greater than a commercial unit and I was a bit concerned about food safety, but the outcome was similar. Nowadays you can get a model that clips onto one of your pots and works great for under $70. It is a bit specialized, but I use mine a lot.