It’s too soon to say burnt toast and crispy roast potatoes cause cancer

Thanks for the email, puts my mind at rest, try not to burn toast but does happen sometimes.

Thanks for the understanding on acrylamide, and yes there are bigger risk factors out there that we should be paying attention to such as bad food & alcohol

Yet again another well balanced and sensible explanation. Thank you for explaining “sensational headlines” that do nothing positive but just create panic. Cancer is frightening enough without the unnecessary media sensation.

What a load rubbish, I have never heard such tripe in all my life, 68 years

I think It’s a load of bull I have brain tumour but instead of looking into helping people like myself they are scare mongering everyone else the next thing they will say is you will get cancer from breathing

If eating toast and roast potatoes causes Cancer then I think millions of people would be dying every year and would have been for years and years

All of this is pure scaremongering. We have been eating burnt toast, over roasted potatoes etc etc etc for decades. Same thing with salt. one day it is bad for you the next it is good for you. Why do we have so much obesity which also results in diabetes over the past 30 years is because our diet and eating habits have changed beyond recognition. In the 1950’s early 60’s none of this was an issue. The food produced was healthier and had to be eaten within days of purchase as domestic freezers in the UK were virtually non-existent. Fast food outlets such as Macdonald’s, KFC’s were again non-existent in the UK and we did not have microwave ovens. Most foods today, unless you go to a farmers’ market, local butchers or buy from online butchers, are now full of preservatives for longer life and sit in the fridge may be for up to two weeks. The consumption of fast/convenient foods full of sugar/salt/E this and E that clearly do not help and maybe somewhere along the line contribute to the increase in cancer and other common illnesses but definitely result in obesity and diabetes. All these tests are done in extremis and don’t really have much bearing on normal eating habits. If you smoke 60 a day you are more likely to get cancer of the lungs/liver than someone who smokes 10 a day BUT each person’s physical constitution is different and whilst there are those who have contracted lung cancer from passive smoking there are those who have lived to over a hundred who smoked all their life. We are all different No one is going to eat roast potatoes three times a day every day nor eat large quantities of burnt toast either. Generally it is one or two slices and if you have an orange juice or liquid accompaniment this will dilute it to insignificance. Without being patronizing, a little sense and sensibility is required here – a balanced and varied diet is highly recommended and eating potato crisps, biscuits, cakes etc should be kept to a minimum. A bit of exercise would help to keep the body in trim but again not to excess. There are plenty of ways to keep fit without overdoing it. I am 70 and a great supporter of Cancer Research. Their comments above are measured and to the point. Most of us are adult enough to know what is good or bad for one. A little drink here does no harm, a fried egg there does no harm. These Government agencies, FSA, however, do harm and if one listened to them every time, as one person has commented, you might as well stay at home and DO NOTHING. Have a good life.

Surely this is not news. I recall years ago that we were warned about overcooked products being carcinogenic. If I remember right, that time the message was to avoid burnt toast, i.e. dont scrape the black bits off of a slice that has been in the toaster too long. (other foods too)
In that case I thought they blamed the degradation of proteins to create carcinogens.

Why the focus on (burnt) toast and crispy potatoes when acrylamide is present in most baked foods with sugar/starch content? Instant coffee also contains a “higher” amount of acrylamide. Keeping potatoes in the refrigerator (not mentioned) also allegedly increases levels of acrylamide. However, the clincher for me is that according to your report, industry workers who are exposed to double the amount of acrylamide, do not have a greater than normal incidence of cancer. But of course they are adults, so being aware of a perhaps a tiny risk to children, act and eat accordingly. Cutting out those starchy, highly processed treats (potato crisps etc.) would be a good start in any event.

I think the whole article is rubbish and typical of scare tactics widely used by the media .
1) There is no evidence it has the same effect on humans.
2) There is no unambiguous numerical data . How much acrylamide is there in a slice of burnt toast?
3) What cancers are linked to acrylamide?
4) What are the cancer levels in 3 for people who do not eat burnt toast etc.etc.
5) I am sorry but the whole thing is scientifically illiterate rubbish
More data will prove or disprove the case

2)

Despite spreading all these “concerns” by the Food Standards Agency on burnt toast, you can still purchase alcohol cheaper than water and milk in many cases – so if Government were sincere with their obligation, they would have done something to stop making alcohol available so cheap in the supermarket – oh wait a second, they generate lots of tax ! Besides their lobby is very influential !

I’m 70 in July and I’ve had burnt toast for most of the time . I have never smoked and I have one small bourbon on a Saturday night watching Casualty ! I am overweight but it is honestly not down to what I eat . At my advanced age I have decided to have a vegetarian diet and I’ve bought Deliciously Ella cookery books and a couple of books on Italian vegetarian food , my favourite food . I love the Mediterranean diet and eat cherry tomatoes like sweets . I don’t eat biscuits or crisps but I do have a cake when my friend comes to do my hair once a month , it’s our little ritual! I have a lot of health problems but fibromyalgia is the one that ruins my life . I am housebound but very happy with my 3 cats , books , encaustic art and my soaps .

I knew it was a load of nonsense. I am being treated for hers 2 EP screen detected breast cancer. I have no risk factors, good weight, exercise, non smoker moderate drinker no family history of any cancer at all etc. I am 68yearss old. Two of my close friends have been told they have no need to go for cancer screening after 65 yrs because they have no risk factors I presume by their GPs or Practice nurses now I call that irresponsible. The media also recently reported that I might be being over treated that wasn’t helpful for my moral. Keep up the good work debunking myths and miss information

Well with the articles in newspapers stating that the world population is spinning out of control, these Governments, food agencies etc, knowing know that what goes into their foods are, and ARE carcinogenic. So they are the ones that are killing us. It doesn’t matter what you eat or drink, everything is bad….. but they aint gonna tell you that. They are just their to boost their profits. All we have to do is eat sensibly and keep ourselves healthy where we can.

Thanks for keeping me informed as I’m often asked these sort of questions. Yesterday my sister’s handed over a cheque for £1,230,40p to cancer research from our fund raising activities so as you can imagine we meet a lot of people who are concerned.

In these days of “fake news”, “post truth” and sensationalist media headlines, articles like this are vital to help us keep hold of evidence-based reason.

Food standard agency should warn people about hormones, antibiotics and hazardous preservatives! Better still stop them!

At lat words of common sense and wisdom that put this topic into perspective, thank you.

Thank you for your common sense, non red top media headline, explanation

Scaremongering rubbish

Thank for all this information really help well done keep on with a good work Thanks
Regards Esther Johnson

i agree if you took on board everything that caused cancer you would never leave the house

I believe too much scaremongering has the opposite effect on most sane ordinary people than its original intention especially if it is not backed up by clinical facts as in the case of “brown toast”.

Everywhere we turn we are increasing our cancer risk,the very air we breath is toxic,contaminated with car exhaust fumes.Look at the list of chemical ingredients on any shampoo,shower gel and beauty products which we apply and is absorbed through our skin.The things they put in processed foods.There are risks in our every day lives so a bit of burnt toast is neither here nor there.

This is stupid alot of things can cause cancer we would be worry if we kept reading the news everyday life is worth living not worrying about stupid stuff like this