The air fryer causing cancer has once again sparked heated discussion. Can we still use it?

The popularity of the internet-famous small appliance air fryer obviously fits the users' pursuit of health. It has the crispy taste of fried food, but it reduces the use of cooking oil in the cooking process, which is really hard not to like.

The convenience and speed of using air fryers also allow kitchen novices to enjoy the fun of cooking. It is no surprise that the air fryer has exploded in the market. However, during the implementation process, rumors about air fryers causing cancer have been heard all the time, triggering heated discussions in the industry. Recently, food safety whistleblower Xin Jifei broke the news online that long-term consumption of food cooked in an air fryer may increase the risk of cancer, which directly triggered an Internet sensation. Can air fryers still be used?

In fact, when it comes to the issue of air fryers causing cancer, we need to mention harmful carcinogens such as "acrylamide". When people say that air fryers cause cancer, they also mean that the "acrylamide" content of food made in air fryers exceeds the standard and has a risk of cancer. So what is the truth? Let's explore it together:

What needs to be explained here is that if the food contains reducing sugars such as glucose and fructose and proteins, a certain amount of harmful carcinogens such as acrylamide will be produced when processed at high temperatures. This means that as long as it is cooked by oil or gas, whether it is deep-frying, roasting or stir-frying, it can reach a high temperature that can produce carcinogens.

To put it more clearly, the production of acrylamide is not unique to air fryers. Any food containing carbohydrates and protein will produce acrylamide when heated at a temperature above 120°C. Therefore, acrylamide will be produced during the cooking process whether it is boiled, steamed, stir-fried, deep-fried, or in a microwave oven. The amount of acrylamide contained in food processed by an air fryer is no higher than that contained in other cooking methods.

More importantly, for acrylamide to reach a toxic dose, a very large intake is required, which may require eating several hundred kilograms of fried chicken wings at a time. In this regard, Wang Lei, deputy chief physician of the Nutrition Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, once pointed out that "it is meaningless to talk about toxicity without considering the dose. The presence of toxic ingredients and the toxicity of the food are completely different concepts."

In addition, it is worth mentioning that although the air fryer does not require additional oil, it only uses air circulation to heat the food to cook the inside and "force" out the oil contained in the oil-containing ingredients. However, this does not mean that the "oil-free and healthy" product label of the air fryer can allow us to eat to our heart's content. We must know that eating too much and consuming too many calories can easily lead to weight gain.