The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) has launched a campaign warning of the cancer risk associated with cooking potatoes and other starchy foods at high temperatures. How worried should we be, and do we need to change the way we eat? New Scientist looks at the evidence What’s the problem? In a word, acrylamide. This chemical is used in lots of industrial processes, including water purification, and to separate DNA molecules in experiments. Acrylamide is also found in some foods. Which foods contain acrylamide? Acrylamide is made by something called the Maillard reaction, which browns cooked foods and gives them their pleasing flavour. As sugars and amino acids react together, they produce thousands