The Airfryer, an aid to dietetic food
Its name says it all. This household appliance allows you to fry with hot air without resorting to the addition of fats such as sunflower oil. Even if the latter has benefits when consumed without excess. So we let our imagination – and the recipes – lead us to create a large number of dishes that we cook without worrying about additional fat. The marketing of the Airfryer is essentially based on this health argument, slimming, or even food guilt.
The Airfryer has other obvious qualities. It allows you to cook more quickly, while being less imposing than an oven so it can be easily placed in a small kitchen. Full of arguments that make him essential.
Fred Van Der Weij, a Dutch engineer, created this machine in 2006, only presented to the public in 2010. It was a dazzling and worldwide success. Instagrammers like @airfryer_nanie_and_co or @airfryergirluk, specialized solely in the promotion and invention of recipes adapted to the device, have thousands of subscribers. Tempting and sometimes unusual recipes like a chickpea and pistachio burger or dehydrated kiwis.
However, the myth of the Airfryer, an idyllic and harmless health ally, is gradually fading away.
The danger of acrylamide
According to the National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety, acrylamide is a molecule that forms when cooking foods at high temperatures (above 120°C). rich in asparagine and starch. It is recognized as a proven animal and possible human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the World Health Organization. The potato, rich in starch, was the main and only subject of the Gazi University study on the formation of this supposedly harmful organic compound, during different cooking methods. The researchers found that fries cooked in the Airfryer are those which contain the most acrylamide: 12.19 µg/kg in the Airfryer, compared to 7.43 µg/kg for fries cooked in the oven and 8.94 µg/kg per fries cooked in a traditional fryer.
Would there be a maximum level of potentially non-carcinogenic acrylamide? A question whose answer remains unanswered, but which does not prevent us from remaining vigilant. In 2020, a study by the Korea Consumer Agency already warned of the dangers of acrylamide generated by the Airfryer.
Tips to limit risks
To reduce the starch level and thus be less exposed to the production of acrylamides when frying potatoes, they must be soaked in water for 30 minutes. Choose potatoes whose variety is recommended for frying such as agria or victoria.
With the Airfryer, it is also advisable, as far as possible, not to exceed the cooking temperature of 120°C, and as with a stove, to check the condition of the coating. To prevent deterioration of the coating, choose wooden and silicone instruments, which should not be cleaned with an abrasive cloth or sponge.
And above all, let’s not try to brown our fries too much at the risk of burning them and having an increased acrylamide level, whatever the cooking method.
