VOA慢速英语:Can Burnt Toast Give You Cancer?

Many Americans have toasted bread first thing in the morning.For some, the morning meal also includes hash browned potatoes.Or later in the day, they might enjoy potato chips or crispy French fries.
很多美国人早晨起床后的第一件事就是吃点烤面包。对一些人来说，早餐还包括炸成棕色的马铃薯。或者当天晚些时候，他们可能还会吃薯片或酥脆的炸薯条。

But if you like any of these foods cooked until they are dark brown in color, you might want to limit how much of them you eat.
如果你喜欢吃炸成深棕色的食物，那么你可能需要控制一下摄入量。

That is the finding of a British government agency. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is urging people to avoid eating burnt or very well toasted bread and deeply browned potatoes.
这是英国一家政府机构的发现。食品标准局（FSA）奉劝人们避免食用烤焦的或烤得很好的面包，以及深棕色的马铃薯。

The danger, the agency says, is when starchy foods are cooked until they are very firm or even burnt.
食品标准局表示，含淀粉的食物被烤得非常坚硬或烤焦的时候就会有危险。

The concern is a chemical called acrylamide. Acrylamide is produced naturally in food during cooking at high temperatures.It has been identified as a possible cancer-causing substance.
真正的担忧是一种称为丙烯酰胺的化学物质。食物经受高温烹调时就会自然地产生丙烯酰胺。它已被认定为一种可能的致癌物质。

New Scientist magazine reports that high levels of acrylamide are present in starchy foods, like potatoes, when they are cooked at temperatures over 120 degrees Celsius. British researchers note that acrylamide can also be present in breakfast cereals, cookies and coffee.
《新科学家》杂志报道说，当淀粉类食品，如马铃薯，在超过120摄氏度的高温中烹调时，就会产生大量的丙烯酰胺。英国研究员们注意到早餐麦片、饼干和咖啡中也可能含有丙烯酰胺。

Steve Wearne is the Director of Policy at the FSA.He says most people do not know that the chemical exists or that it could create a health hazard.
史蒂夫·沃恩是FSA的政策主任。他说大多数人都不知道这种化学物质的存在，或它可能会造成健康隐患。

The FSA launched a study to identify acrylamide exposure in the British population.Researchers found that most people are exposed to too much of the chemical.They said this contact could increase their overall risk of getting cancer.
FSA开始了一项研究，观察英国人口对丙烯酰胺的接触。研究员们发现大多数人都接触了很多这种化学物质。他们说这种接触可能会增加患癌的整体危险。

The agency even created an expression to help people remember.The FSA suggests people should “Go for the Gold!” when they prepare starchy foods.Heating bread or potatoes to a golden brown, they claim, is healthier than over-cooking them or burning them.
食品标准局为了帮助人们记忆，还设计了一句表达。FSA建议人们准备淀粉类食品的时候，应该“追求金色”。他们称，将面包或马铃薯烤成金黄色，比将其过度烹调或烤焦更健康。

Wearne says the agency is not saying that people should worry “about the occasional meal that’s a bit overcooked.”He said these suggestions are about controlling risk during one’s lifetime.
沃恩说此机构并不是在说人们应当担心“偶尔一次过度烹饪的食物”。他说这些建议指的是人一生的风险控制。

The agency is also urging people to eat fewer high-calorie foods like potato chips, French fries and cookies -- all of which have acrylamides.
此机构还劝诫人们少吃高热量食物，如薯片、薯条和饼干，这些食物都含有丙烯酰胺。

There are other things you can do to limit your exposure to acrylamides.
还有其他限制丙烯酰胺摄入量的措施。

Experts at New Scientist suggest that you not keep potatoes in the refrigerator.They explain that “at low temperatures, an enzyme breaks down” the sugars in the potato. These sugars can form acrylamide during cooking.They add that frozen foods don’t have this risk. Sugars, like sucrose, do not break down at low temperatures.
《新科学家》杂志的专家们建议，不要将马铃薯放在冰箱里。他们解释说“在低温环境中，一种酶会分解马铃薯中的糖分”。在烹饪中，这些糖分会形成丙烯酰胺。他们补充说冷冻食品没有这个风险。类似于蔗糖的糖类，在低温中不会分解。

Another cooking tip is you can blanch potatoes before frying.Blanching is heating food briefly in water. This will remove the potato skin and half the sugar, resulting in lower levels of acrylamide.
另一个烹饪技巧是，在炸马铃薯之前可以将其用沸水焯一下。焯就是将食物短暂地放入沸水中加热。这能够去除马铃薯皮和一半的糖分，留下少量的丙烯酰胺。

Scientists have launched other studies to better understand how acrylamide forms in some overcooked foods and how cooking traditions may affect people.
科学家们还开始了其他的研究，以便更好地理解丙烯酰胺是如何在一些过度烹饪的食物中产生的，以及烹饪习惯是如何对人产生影响的。

And that’s the Health & Lifestyle report.
以上就是健康与生活方式报道。

I’m Anna Matteo.
我是安娜·马泰奥。