A meat and potato war: implications for cancer etiology.

Cooking foods clearly has a beneficial impact for humans; the microbial content can be decreased, proteins made more digestible and the flavor and texture improved. But at the same time, amino acids, creatine and sugars, which occur naturally in meats, may be involved in reactions that generate heterocyclic amine (HA) carcinogens during cooking. Recently, another amine carcinogen, acrylamide, was found at relatively high levels in cooked carbohydrate-rich foods, especially potatoes. In this commentary acrylamide will be compared with the meat carcinogens (HAs) with respect to formation, human intake and health consequences--it's a meat and potato war. What conclusion about risks from these dietary carcinogens can we make from the available scientific data?