French fries are not French, as any Belgian will tell you. Belgian frites, a distinct product separate from French fries, is under attack from the European Union, based in the Belgium capital of Brussels.
The EU concern stems from the formation of acrylamide, a chemical reaction when starchy foods reach a temperature above 120° C (248° F).
Belgian frites are cooked at a lower temperature in the initial stage to actually cook the frites. In the second step, the frites are cooked at a higher temperature for crispness. The resulting Belgian frites have a crispy exterior and a soft interior.
Here are the basics that we know about acrylamide:
- While damage from acrylamide has been found in animals, science has not seen damage in humans.
- There is no link between acrylamide and increased risk of cancer.
- The longer you cook the food, the more chance you have of increased acrylamide in the food.
- Blanching the food (placing briefly in boiling water) prior to frying reduces the sugar by half, leading to lower acrylamide levels.
The last point is the European Union "solution." The pro-frites crowd see this as blasphemy.
"It is important to be mindful not to take measures that have unintended and far-reaching consequences for our rich gastronomic tradition," Ben Weyts, Belgium's tourism minister wrote in a letter to the food policy commissioner, Vytenis Andriukaitis. "Our fries owe their flavour to the craftsmanship of our chippies, who fry chips raw and then fry them a second time. I understand that outside our country they have different cultures. But we have our own cultural tradition. It would be a shame if the European Union prohibited it."
One option Weyts gave to CBC Radio's As It Happens is to lower the temperature on the finishing step for the frites. That temperature would still be higher than the mark where acrylamide begins. That seems to be a useless compromise as the current temperatures give the frites their special quality and don’t significantly reduce acrylamide levels.
Frites would be "safe" relatively speaking from acrylamide, but wouldn't be as tasty or culturally significant.
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The EU solution is considered "safe" in the same way that banning all medium-rare burgers in Canada is "safe." Then again, the carcinogens from overcooking meat aren’t considered. Using fresh potatoes instead of frozen actually increases the acrylamide concern.
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You would have to eat a lot of Belgian frites to even run into an issue. Acrylamide levels could prove significant, but the science isn’t at that point.
If portion control is a concern, you should definitely split a petite frites. In Belgium and surrounding areas, the smallest portion is rather huge. If you get a grand frites, have several friends and even strangers to help you out.
If you are into cooking potatoes in the Belgian frites manner, one key step is not to put potatoes in the refrigerator.
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The European Commission proposal would only recommend blanching the potatoes to reduce the intake of acrylamide. “The commission is preparing a new regulatory measure to oblige food business operators to apply a code of practice to reduce acrylamide in food, as it is carcinogenic,” said an European Commission spokesperson.
The good news is there won’t be a Belgian frites ban but you have to hope the frietkot (frites stand) is doing them the old-fashioned way instead of following new regulatory measures where the primary impact is to reduce the quality of the frites.
photos credit: me
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