Warning out on fried snacks

They can threaten your nervous system.

According to a report, potato chips, and fried potato and zucchini have been found to contain a high level of acrylamide, which can affect the nervous system, and have adverse reproductive and developmental effects in experimental animals.

Releasing the First Hong Kong Total Diet Study's sixth report today, Centre for Food Safety Consultant (Community Medicine) (Risk Assessment & Communication) Dr Ho Yuk-yin said the acrylamide content of 133 food items was analysed.

The dietary exposure of the local population to acrylamide was found to be low, relative to the US, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the Mainland. But there still is a human health concern.

He said results showed the highest acrylamide level was detected in the food group "snack foods", followed by "vegetables and their products" and "legumes, nuts and seeds and their products".

Potato chips were found to contain the highest level of acrylamide, followed by fried potato and zucchini.

The main dietary source of acrylamide for the local population was stir-fried vegetables (44.9%), including Chinese flowering cabbage, water spinach, zucchini and onion.

To reduce the level of exposure to acrylamide from vegetables, Dr Ho advised the public to consider blanching vegetables before frying, or cooking them by boiling or steaming.