科技英语阅读|吃薯条会致癌吗？

为了帮助大家更好地备考托福和雅思等考试，我们特意为大家转载了一篇国外与饮食有关的科技英语阅读文章，希望可以帮助到大家。

Food agency warns of cancer risk from roast potatoes

Target Vocabulary：

carcinogenic 致癌的；致癌物的[,kɑːs(ɪ)nə'dʒenɪk]

starchy 含淀粉的；浆糊状的；刻板的['stɑːtʃɪ]

acrylamide 丙烯酰胺[ə'krɪləmaɪd]

prehistoric 史前的；陈旧的[priːhɪ'stɒrɪk]

amino acid [生化] 氨基酸[ə,mi:nəu 'æsid]

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A UK public health campaign aims to persuade people to change their cooking habits to avoid generating carcinogenic chemicals.

The initiative is the world’s first consumer-orientated campaign to reduce acrylamide, which is created by cooking starchy foods — particularly potatoes — for long periods at high temperatures.

“Our diet survey shows that all age groups consume more acrylamide in their diet than is desirable,” said Steve Wearne, policy director of the Food Standards Agency. “The majority of people are not aware that acrylamide exists or that they might be able to reduce their personal intake.”

Although humans have probably been consuming acrylamide since cooking began in prehistoric times, high levels were first identified in fried and baked foods by Swedish scientists in 2002, said Professor Guy Poppy, FSA chief scientist. “That raised concern worldwide because many studies showed that acrylamide could cause cancer in laboratory animals.”

No one has proved that acrylamide in cooked food is causing cancer in people — and there are no estimates for the number of cases associated with dietary acrylamide. But, on the basis of the animal studies and the damaging effect of acrylamide on DNA, scientists say it is likely to contribute to the overall burden of cancer.

The chemical forms in cooking through a natural reaction between amino acids and carbohydrates at temperatures above 120C. Boiling and steaming do not produce enough heat to generate acrylamide.

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FSA sampling over the past decade shows that food manufacturers have successfully cut acrylamide concentrations in potato crisps and chips, bread, biscuits and roast coffee, by adjusting their cooking procedures.

Other advice includes a warning not to keep raw potatoes in the fridge.

According to the FSA, potatoes undergo a process called “cold sweetening” at fridge temperatures, which slowly changes their carbohydrate composition in a way that is more likely to form acrylamide during frying or roasting. Instead, they should be stored in a dark place that is cool but no colder than 6C.

Another way to reduce acrylamide formation is to change the amino acid balance of the potatoes themselves and in particular to cut the amount of asparagine. Public health authorities are encouraging potato breeders to develop low-asparagine varieties. This could be achieved through genetic modification if the public came to accept GM potatoes, said Prof Poppy.

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