Does air fryer cause cancer?

When fried for a long time and at temperatures greater than 120 degrees Celsius, plant-based foods, especially potatoes, have the potential to create carcinogens.

The air fryer is a familiar kitchen appliance to some families. Instead of cooking dishes using the traditional deep-frying method, the air fryer only requires the user to spread a small layer of oil on the surface of the dish.

With the heating mechanism and the heat circulation fan system, the air fryer can push the temperature up to 200 degrees Celsius. Therefore, foods will be cooked quickly, and have beautiful colors similar to the deep-frying method. Thanks to this feature, housewives can limit 80-90% of the amount of oil used.

How is carcinogenic acrylamide created?

Air fryers are becoming one of the kitchen appliances that many users are looking to buy. It is difficult to deny the advantages that this product brings. However, using and preparing dishes on an air fryer with incorrect techniques also poses many potential health risks.

Recently, according to the announcement of the Hong Kong Consumer Council, people here need to be vigilant when using and choosing to buy oil-free fryer products.

12 air fryer models tested by Hong Kong authorities. (Photo: Handout).

Specifically, after testing the processing of thinly sliced ​​French fries at high temperatures on 12 models of air fryers (mostly domestic brands), the regional management agency discovered that the content of acrylamide, a carcinogen, exceeded the allowable standard.

In 2012, scientists from Stockholm University announced the presence of acrylamide in food. This is a substance formed from sugar and an amino acid after processing at high temperatures. Normally, acrylamide appears in foods processed at temperatures of 120 degrees Celsius or higher, which is the temperature used to cook fried or grilled foods.

According to JECFA, a European food additives committee, fried potatoes are one of the foods with the highest levels of acrylamide (16-30%). The chemical is commonly found in plant-based foods, such as potatoes, cereals, and coffee. As a result, air fryer tests are often performed on potatoes.

By 2015, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) officially confirmed that acrylamide has the potential to increase the risk of developing cancer.

Currently, the EU standard for acrylamide in food is 500 micrograms per kilogram. However, tests by Hong Kong authorities showed that the chemical content exceeded the allowable level by 13 times, or 7,038 micrograms per kilogram.

This is not the first time that air fryers have been tested and some models have produced food containing harmful toxins that exceed standards.

Similarly, according to a study by the Korean consumer agency on 10 air fryer models, after frying frozen potatoes at 200 degrees Celsius for the longest time mentioned in the instruction manual, the potatoes turned dark yellow.

The average recorded acrylamide content was about 1,720 micrograms/kg. This content exceeded the European standard by 3.4 times and the Korean standard by 1.7 times.

In addition, the test also showed that despite being cooked according to the instruction manual or automatic cooking mode, 4/10 air fryer models still exceeded the allowable acrylamide content. The toxin content only decreased when users reduced the temperature and cooking time.

How to limit carcinogens when using an air fryer

According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), although using an air fryer can help users limit fat, cooking food through frying and baking is still the method that forms the highest amount of acrylamide.

For french fries, users should soak thinly sliced ​​potatoes in water for about 15-30 minutes, drain and pat dry before cooking.

In particular, storing foods such as potatoes in the refrigerator will contribute to increasing acrylamide levels when cooked.

Users should limit the use of burnt, overcooked, and darkly colored foods. (Photo: FDA).

In addition, users should limit the use of burnt or overcooked foods. Acrylamide levels increase the most when food turns dark yellow or dark brown. Acrylamide is easily formed when food is cooked at temperatures of 120 degrees Celsius or higher for a long time.

Most importantly, users need to find and buy quality air fryers from reputable brands and distributors. Not only do they pose many potential technical risks, the materials used to make poor quality products will have a greater impact on the health of consumers.