Are frozen chips a cancer risk? The UK's NHS responds.

InWroclaw 89 | 1910

28 Sep 2012 / #1

nhs.uk/news/2012/09September/Pages/Frozen-chips-can-cause-cancer.aspx

The researchers found that the combination of exposing potatoes to high temperatures and treating them in sugar was mainly responsible for producing acrylamide.

An important point to note is that the claim that acrylamide causes cancer in humans is very much open to debate. Since its discovery, there have been a number large-scale studies into a possible link, with many of these studies having inconclusive results.

Frozen chips are probably also sold at take aways and burger chains.

"Frozen chips are a cause of cancer" reports the UK Daily Telegraph:

In particular, the kind of partly-cooked fries supplied to some restaurants, pubs and fast food outlets are most likely to contain higher levels of carcinogenic chemicals, researchers warn.

Disturbing trend to see in Poland if it takes hold - people adopting burger chain dining lifestyles and doing less cooking-from-fresh at home.

Wroclaw Boy

29 Sep 2012 / #2

usual story though i now people that probably never ate frozen chipd in their life and still died from cancer. Plastic bottled water that has been left in cars and heated then cooled seems to have a link to breast cancer.

OP InWroclaw 89 | 1910

29 Sep 2012 / #3

people that probably never ate frozen chipd in their life and still died from cancer

Sorry to hear that.

Is the water in Wroclaw so dodgy that so many people opt for bottled? I have never seen so much bottled water being bought in my life as I see here.

I thought that the water plant in Wroc had some new filters and the water was good. Okay, not as good as say Częstochowa but good.

Orpheus - | 113

29 Sep 2012 / #4

"Frozen chips are a cause of cancer" reports the UK Daily Telegraph

The headline is Frozen chips 'are a cause of cancer'. The DT does not state that frozen chips are a cause of cancer. The article then goes on to partially clarify its scaremongering by stating that acrylamide is a 'probable human carcinogen'. As usual the newspapers start with the scare and then qualify it.

I highly recommend Ben Goldacre's book Bad Science, which has done a lot to expose both crappy research and misleading journalism.

felix - | 2

29 Sep 2012 / #5

Why am i not surprised?

Felix

NorthMancPolak 4 | 642

29 Sep 2012 / #6

Typically lazy tabloid reporting.

Chips "may" or "could" give you cancer. Then again, they will probably change their mind next week - "chips once a week protects against lung cancer" or something. As long as you don't have them with HP Sauce, in which case you "could" have a chance of getting diabetes once you reach your 70s. lol.

Perhaps what they should just do is run a "New research suggests that life leads to your death" headline, and have done with it. Then again, they would still use weasel words like "may", "could", or "some", haha :D

OP InWroclaw 89 | 1910

29 Sep 2012 / #7

"chips once a week protects against lung cancer"

I'd advise eating cruciferous veg for some of that, steamed, not overdone. Broccoli, brussels, kale, cabbage. Some research says tomato enhances its benefits.

p3undone 7 | 1098

29 Sep 2012 / #8

Inwroclaw,I like to skin and dice potatoes and fry them in olive oil,this is a healthier alternative,though I know their are much healthier things,like what you just mentioned.You could leave the skin on the potatoes,but I don't care for them that way.

OP InWroclaw 89 | 1910

29 Sep 2012 / #9

Leave the skin on like wedges? We have those in the UK, they're not bad. Olive oil is good :o)

p3undone 7 | 1098

29 Sep 2012 / #10

InWroclaw,Yeah,those would be very good as well.

NorthMancPolak 4 | 642

3 Oct 2012 / #11

Leave the skin on like wedges?

The most important question is "Daddy or chips?" :D

OP InWroclaw 89 | 1910

3 Oct 2012 / #12

youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=aHA4-5N5AzA

Voiceover by ex-weatherman Ian McCaskill, if you remember 'im!
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_McCaskill

RevokeNice 15 | 1854

3 Oct 2012 / #13

Try Heston whateverhisnameis' thrice cooked chips and you will never buy mass produced chips again.

They are that good.

I hope he opens a restaurant in Dublin.

welshguyinpola 23 | 463

3 Oct 2012 / #14

Its Polish paranoia aboujt water here. I always drink from the tap and get some strange looks. People are expecting me to kmeel over and die at any moment. Ive seen poles even put bottled water in the kettle to make tea.

delphiandomine 86 | 17823

3 Oct 2012 / #15

It's not a matter of being dodgy, it's just a matter of taste. My tap water is fine health-wise, but it's absolutely disgusting.

(says he, born and brought up in Scotland where water tastes like water, not like chlorine)

Varsovian 91 | 634

3 Oct 2012 / #16

Acrylamide is a low-level carcinogen. Fried potato products contain it. However, the cancer risk appears low. Naruszewicz et al. Warsaw Medical University 2009 however highlighted the risk of artherosclerosis from chronic ingestion of acrylamide-containing potato chips causing oxidative stress and inflammation.

Crisps (potato chips) are bad for your heart. Factor in trans fatty acids and you have a super-bad food. Nibble nuts instead - just cut down your salt intake elsewhere.

OP InWroclaw 89 | 1910

4 Oct 2012 / #17

Ive seen poles even put bottled water in the kettle to make tea.

I've seen Brits do that!

(says he, born and brought up in Scotland where water tastes like water, not like chlorine)

Two words: Peckham Spring ;o)

Crisps (potato chips) are bad for your heart.

Aren't the reconstituted potato snacks, you know the brand that comes in the long tube, aswell as others, similarly containing it?

dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1055471/Cancer-chemical-Pringles-Hula-Hoops-Prince-Charless-organic-crisps.html

grubas 12 | 1382

4 Oct 2012 / #18

Ive seen poles even put bottled water in the kettle to make tea.

And?What's so strange about it?In the US I buy drinking water from a water vending machine,35 cents for a gallon (you have to have your own container).It seems that more people here do it because I doubt this vending machine was installed exclusively for me.Tap water here stinks.

Ironside 50 | 12375

4 Oct 2012 / #19

And?What's so strange about it

read some before you accost poster here! inWrocwal is a level-headed poster here.

grubas 12 | 1382

4 Oct 2012 / #20

read some before you accost poster here!

Beg you pardon?

inWrocwal is a level-headed poster here.

He is but what does it have to do with me quoting WELSHGUYINPOLA???

Ironside 50 | 12375

6 Oct 2012 / #21

Beg you pardon?

Sorry! My bad!