Chemical in fried food may double cancer risk in women

A new study at the University of Maastricht has found that a common chemical called acrylamide caused by frying, roasting or grilling a food substance can double the risk of cancer in women.

The study, which enrolled 120,000 people – half of whom were women – established a direct association between consumption of the chemical and the incidence of ovarian and womb cancer.

It also revealed that the chemical is found in cooked foods such as bread, breakfast cereals, coffee and also meat and potatoes which had been fried, roasted, grilled or barbecued.

The Dutch study discovered that women who had more acrylamide were twice as likely to develop ovarian or womb cancer as those who ingested a smaller amount. The higher amount eaten by the women involved was the equivalent to a single packet of crisps, half a pack of biscuits, or a portion of chips a day.