Air Fryer Cancer Controversy Hits Headlines Worldwide

You could already own an air fryer if you enjoy cooking healthfully and want to stay away from the excess oil that goes into making deep-fried samosas.

If you don’t know, an air fryer is a countertop kitchen equipment that cooks food by drawing hot air around it, similar to how deep-frying works but with much less or no oil.

It has wet inside and a crispy outside thanks to heating components at the top and a fan that disperses the hot air.

Because of their versatility, air fryers may be used to cook a wide variety of items, including classic chicken and even puris (remember that viral recipe for puris made with zero oil?).

Nevertheless, a lot of movies that purport to “expose the truth behind air fryers” have been making the rounds recently on the internet, suggesting that air fryers are connected to a number of illnesses, including cancer.

What makes using your air fryer inappropriate? Continue reading to learn more.

What are the opinions of experts?

The majority of air fryers manufactured after 2013 are safe to use since they are constructed of Teflon, which does not contain the hazardous synthetic chemical perfluorooctanoic acid. This information is provided by Mumbai-based senior physician and critical care expert Dr. Roohi Pirzada.

There’s an obstacle, however

Medical oncology consultant Dr. Pooja Babbar of CK Birla Hospital in Gurugram explains that the problem stems from the fact that the “coating of air fryers” is composed of ceramic and plastic, and that when it is heated to high temperatures, it does produce a chemical that damages your DNA and RNA and may be a “source of a probable carcinogen.”

Acrylamide, a substance that worries a number of specialists, is created when food is cooked to temperatures higher than 120°C.

That being said, acrylamide is not exclusively created in air fryers.

In reality, acrylamide may be formed during practically every food process, even baking and deep-frying, provided the food is burnt or heated to a sufficiently high temperature.

Dr. Babbar warns that if we don’t utilise air fryers carefully, the amount of acrylamide that forms might increase.

This is the reason

• Convection is how the air fryer works; it produces small oil droplets that move around the food along with heated air.
• This produces cuisine that has an outside that is crispy and an inside that is moist, much like deep-frying.

• The air can create acrylamide, a likely carcinogen, due to its circulation at temperatures higher than 120 degrees Celsius.

How can one stay safe?

The best course of action, according to Dr. Babbar, is to utilise air fryers with a stainless steel covering.

“With stainless steel coated air fryers, you get a healthy cooking method along with very low production of acrylamide,” Dr. Babbar claims.

Dr. Pirzada concurs. She also suggests that food in an air fryer not be kept in there for an extended period of time, especially overnight.

Verifying that the coating is intact is a further step. “It is advisable to replace your air fryer if its coating is damaged, as it may leak toxins and carcinogens into your food,” continues Dr. Pirzada.

Why your safest option may be an air fryer?

Dr. Anukalp Prakash, a lead gastrointestinal physician at CK Birla Hospital in Gurugram, informs us that, when used correctly (as we just explained), air fryers can be the healthiest cooking method available, surpassing even deep-frying and roasting.

This is the reason

• Air fryers use a lot less oil than deep frying, which reduces the amount of fat and calories in your food, according to Dr. Prakash.

• Additionally, they could lessen the development of dangerous substances connected to deep-frying.

But according to Dr. Prakash, using an air fryer or baking pan to prepare food is similar to roasting or baking, so depending on what you’re preparing, either way can be healthful. However, he claims that air fryers can occasionally provide greater food crisping.

Conclusion 

Air fryers are a contemporary culinary tool that support calorie restriction and weight management. Still, they have advantages and disadvantages of their own.

However, when utilised at temperatures below 120 degrees Celsius, it is also one of the healthiest and safest methods of cooking food.