Attention Brown breakfast toasts can be a cancer risk

Healthy breakfast: prefer not to toast too much
For many Germans, toast belongs to the daily breakfast. Experts point out that one should not roast the slices too much. Otherwise they can become a health risk.

So that food does not become a health risk
"Food has never been as safe in history as it is today," said Professor Dr. Dr. Andreas Hensel, President of the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) in a communication on the International Green Week in Berlin (20 to 29 January). In some cases, consumers can also help to prevent food from posing a health risk. For example with the breakfast toast.

For many Germans crispy toast belongs to a delicious breakfast. However, the slices should not be roasted too long. Otherwise they pose a health risk. (Image: awfoto / fotolia.com)

Toast slices do not roast too long
Many Germans like crunchy toast for breakfast. However, if the slices are over-roasted, they can become a health hazard.

The food toxicologist Prof. Bernd Schäfer BfR said in a message from the news agency dpa: "The more tanned these are, the higher their acrylamide content."

Acrylamide has long been suspected of causing cancer. According to Schäfer, there are scientific studies with animals that suggest. But there are no studies with humans.

Other experts, such as the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), have also warned in the past about the increased risk of cancer from acrylamide in food.

Risk of cancer due to acrylamide
As Schäfer explained, acrylamide is produced by the strong heating of starchy foods that also contain the amino acid asparagine. From temperatures of around 120 degrees, acrylamide forms in such foods, a substance that is genotoxic. That is, it damages the DNA.

Also in chips, fried potatoes and frozen chips were often found in investigations high acrylamide content.

"The highest content of acrylamide are potato products such as crisps, potato pancakes and French fries as well as cereal products such as crispbread, crackers and biscuits," writes the BfR in the release.

"Gilding instead of charring"
How much of the substance is really dangerous, they do not know, according to shepherd. "We can not set a safe lower threshold," said the expert, according to dpa.

However, nobody has to worry about eating a dark toasted toaster for once. "Risks can arise, however, if you regularly take higher amounts of acrylamide."

According to BfR, the rule of thumb is "gilding instead of charring": At temperatures below 180 degrees Celsius, significantly lower amounts of acrylamide are produced than at higher temperatures.

No increased risk of cancer due to high coffee consumption
According to the agency message, coffee also contains more or less acrylamide, depending on the degree of roast. The popular hot drink seems to interact with different ingredients.

"It is believed that coffee also contains substances that act as a protective agent against the action of carcinogenic substances," said Schäfer with reference to a study by the World Health Organization (WHO) from last year.

It is not yet clear how exactly this works. But: "A connection between high coffee consumption and an increased cancer risk does not exist according to the study." (Ad)