How Much Chemical Are You Eating?

In our new world of plastic-free living and organic everything, you’d think our food and favourite products would be free of chemical compounds. Think again...

- Katherine Sanderson

So you’ve ditched any products containing fish-damaging microbeads, it’s been months since you even looked at a plastic straw, and you’ve bought a new handbag big enough for your precious resusable cup. That must mean you’re chemical-free, right? Not quite. Everything we’re made of, touch, smell, taste, and even breathe, is a chemical. Meaning that while some are natural and harmless, others are man-made, and a few even command headlines so alarming, they make us want to start Zorbing to work in a protective, inflatable bubble. But before you start searching Amazon for such a device (we checked—they’re expensive) and binning everything in your bathroom cabinet, listen up. “Our recent obsession with everything organic has made us fearful of anything that can be seen as a chemical additive,” explains Director of the Public Health England Toxicology Unit at Imperial College London, Alan Boobis. “But in most cases, that fear is unjustified,” he adds. Here’s how to recognise and swerve the worst offenders in your everyday life...

ACRYLAMIDE

FOUND IN: Chargrilled and toasted foods.

WHAT IS IT? The molecule that forms as food browns—think roasted coffee, toast, and spuds—is actually a potentially carcinogenic compound called acrylamide that’s been shown to cause cancer in rats.

SHOULD I WORRY? Not adversely, no, but there are ways to mitigate consumption. Avoid things that are overly chargrilled (which could mean steering clear of your local kebab shop). Also, skip frozen chips, as processed food and potatoes can be high in this chemical. But essentially, don’t decimate your toast and you’ll be fine.