In recent years, the air fryer has become a new Internet celebrity in the kitchen, and for kitchen novices, the air fryer that "everything can be fried" is really an artifact. But I recently saw a report that when cooking in an air fryer, a carcinogen called acrylamide is produced! Is this true? Can we still use air fryers with peace of mind?
The air fryer can use the fat of the food itself to fry food with a lower fat content.
When cooking high-carbohydrate foods at temperatures above 180°C, a large amount of acrylamide is produced, and temperature and time control are key.
Please select regular air fryer paper that meets the GB 4806.8-2022 national standard, and read the instructions before use.
Acrylamide may cause cancer? It needs to be taken seriously, but there is no need to panic
People are exposed to acrylamide levels in normal life are very low, and the acrylamide human poisoning data mostly comes from the factory personnel who produce the compound, and after long-term exposure, they may have numbness in the limbs, sweating of the hands and feet, dizziness and headache, and symptoms such as gait and tremor when the cerebellum is involved.
At present, there are human epidemiological data on the neurotoxicity of acrylamide, but there is a lack of epidemiological studies related to carcinogenic risk, and the metabolic process, toxic effects and mechanisms in humans are still unclear.
High-carbohydrate foods will start to produce some acrylamide when the temperature reaches 120°C, and as the temperature continues to rise to 180°C, acrylamide is produced in large quantities, and the content increases over time. In other words, even if you don't use an air fryer, you can still produce acrylamide by traditional frying methods.
In fact, the daily intake of acrylamide of mainland residents is significantly lower than the world average, which is related to the traditional food processing technology and dietary Xi of mainland residents. On the mainland, where boiled and steamed food accounts for a large proportion, we are less at risk of dietary exposure to acrylamide than in countries that are keen on grilling, frying and other cooking methods.
Is an air fryer a healthy way to cook?
To answer this question, we first need to understand the heating principle of the air fryer. It is to generate hot air by heating the heat pipes in the machine at high temperatures, and then blowing these hot air onto the food with a fan to dehydrate the food, and fry the food in an enclosed space using the fat of the food itself.
Therefore, it is possible to fry food in an air fryer without adding oil, or to cook certain foods with a very small amount of oil. Compared with the traditional food fried in an oil pan, the food made by the air fryer has a lower fat content. From this point of view, it is healthier to use an air fryer. However, the latter is healthier than steaming, boiling, and other cooking methods.
Air fryer paper that cannot be taken lightly - silicone oil paper
Silicone oil paper, which is convenient for cleaning up food residues and oil stains at the bottom of the pot, is used one sheet at a time and thrown away when it is finished, which is convenient and easy to use, and is widely popular.
Silicone oil paper has a three-layer structure, the first layer is the bottom paper, the second layer is the coating, and the third layer is the silicone oil. The material of the liner paper, the grade of silicone oil, and especially the quality of the coating all affect food safety. Some poor quality silicone oil paper may have harmful substances such as fluorescent brighteners and heavy metal residues, which will release formaldehyde and chloropropanol after being heated at high temperatures, endangering human health.
Therefore, when purchasing and using silicone oil paper, you should pay attention to:
Qualified silicone oil paper shall comply with GB 4806.8-2022 "National Food Safety Standard for Food Contact Paper and Cardboard Materials and Products".
It has production licenses and various test reports, such as product quality inspection reports, high temperature resistance reports, etc.
Read the instructions and do not exceed the limit temperature and time during use.