The Ministry of Health has announced that none of the six samples of fried potatoes and snacks, randomly selected for testing, contained acrylamide and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The above-mentioned hazardous substances reportedly can cause cancer and health problems in humans. The results of the test, which was conducted by the National Institute for Food Quarantine, showed that the three randomly selected samples of KFC, Lotteria and BBQ fried potatoes and the three samples of snacks, sold at Nguyen Cao Market and in Ba Trieu and Lo Duc streets in Hanoi, were safe. The test was conducted immediately after the ministry received a warning from the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) about the discovery of a carcinogen called acrylamide in snacks, coffee, potato chips, burnt toast, crisps and some fast food for kids. The EFSA also asked governments to establish new legal frameworks to monitor the food industry, in an attempt to reduce the use of cancer-causing chemicals in products sold in supermarkets and restaurants. Once acrylamide enters the body through ingested food, it is absorbed by the stomach and then by the internal organs. It can cause vomiting, muscle pain, excretory problems and cancer. (Vietnamnews.vn July 18)
