Does Burnt Toast Cause Cancer? Maybe
Over on The Atlantic Food Channel, food policy writer Marion Nestle discusses the dangers of charred toast. Canada recently added acrylamide, the carcinogen that forms on burnt toast, to its list of toxic substances and the European Union is calling it a hazardous chemical "of high concern." But then you have Dutch reports saying there are no real links between acrylamide and cancer.
So maybe burnt toast isn't as bad as swallowing a cigarette but just to be safe, you should probably aim for golden to golden-brown on the toast color spectrum.
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18 Comments:
The bad news is Acrylamide may be a natural byproduct of the Maillard reaction What makes toast... toast (BTW the crust on bread is browned by the same reaction, so you're just double dipping when you put the bread in the toaster.).... so go ahead and enjoy your raw bread dough with butter on it.
Well that's the last one (crosses bread off the list), it's official, now everything gives you cancer.
Pavlov at 8:15AM on 09/04/09
You know what? I don't care. I love toast. I will never give up my toast. There's even a joke in our house that I should open a restaurant called "Mostly Toast"....so screw you Acrylamide!
arm1970 at 8:47AM on 09/04/09
They also found acrylamide is a natural by-product from frying french fries (and presumably other fried starches). Levels appear to be significantly lower than what I would casually inhale at work in my lab, but its still not comforting to know that its in your food.
And there is no established link between acrylamide and cancer. It is however a very potent neurotoxin.. so pick your poison on that concern.
trialbyfood at 8:57AM on 09/04/09
Does anyone else remember the burnt chicken thing? Same cancer theory, eating burnt chicken might cause cancer.... That turned me into a better griller, but still eating chicken and still grilling too.
The toast/cancer theory won't make me stop eating toast, but will make me more mindful of the done-ness of my breakfast.
But, like Pavlov said, seems like everything causes cancer!
mcanna at 9:25AM on 09/04/09
Wait, wait. Which bread are they adding this too? It can't be ALL BREAD in the world? I don't buy commercially produced breads anyway. Buy them at a local market, and you should be fine/know whats in the bread.
egghunt at 9:28AM on 09/04/09
the crunch factor of toasted bread is too big of an enjoyment for me to refrain from toasting my bread, but of course, I'm not going for the blackened version - just enough for texture.
gargupie at 9:31AM on 09/04/09
I'm doomed. My standard order for toast goes something like this: "Very well done whole wheat toast even if it looks burned, bring it out."
therealchiffonade at 9:37AM on 09/04/09
I thought this was true for anything with char?
No matter, burnt toast is still my favorite hangover cure: the bread to soak up the acid and the carbon to settle your stomach.
hellojodi at 9:38AM on 09/04/09
I had a customer the other day that didn't want her steak grilled due to carcinogens caused by char-grilling foods.
madfishgrill at 9:48AM on 09/04/09
@egghunt. Unfortunately, it isnt an "additive". The acrylamide forms as part of the chemical reaction when bread gets toasted. So its pretty unavoidable if you're going to toast your bread. Granted, burning it to a crisp certainly is worse than a light browning. And if Pavlov is correct (and i think he is) nearly all breads with a crust will have the same problem.
I have toast about once or twice a week. I think I'll be ok.
engmcmuffin at 10:03AM on 09/04/09
Swallowing cigarettes is okay, it's smoking them that gives you cancer.
redfish at 10:03AM on 09/04/09
@arm - will you have toasted poundcake????
btchyfoody at 10:21AM on 09/04/09
Wow, bread and acrylamide. I do biochemical research and use acrylamide on a semi-regular basis. It's fairly carcinogenic when not in solution and especially when it's airborne (we all wear masks whenever we're using it) I'm going to have to make sure to not burn my toast from now on!
lwilz at 11:42AM on 09/04/09
whatever, i could care less. one more thing, right?
i do recall one of my favorite calvin & hobbes strips tho:
"hey hobbes-look, it's magic! you put bread in....and TOAST comes out!"
"where did the bread go?"
"i don't know-amazing, right?"
(something like that....oh bill waterson, why did you have to retire?)
gastronomeg at 1:29PM on 09/04/09
You can always scrape off the black parts. My grandma taught me that!
Trilby at 2:32PM on 09/04/09
Miriam Nestle is about to join the current administration. I can assure you that toast is not the only thing she will be banning.
Jeremiahc at 3:02PM on 09/04/09
I was shocked to discover that I can actually make toast without any burnt, black or charred parts. That said... it's just as well that I don't drink alcohol anymore as burnt toast has long been a suggested antidote for hangovers.
phaelon56 at 11:43AM on 09/09/09
This sucks. I love a lot of things burned and well done....
damn.
joylissa at 11:57AM on 09/09/09