Fryer oil fumes are potentially carcinogenic, warns ANSES

The National Health Safety Agency is warning about the use of frying oils, the fumes of which are believed to be carcinogenic. She recommends better supervision of this cooking method.

This Friday, October 25, the National Health Security Agency (ANSES) publishes an alarming report concerning the use of frying oils. It highlights their potential carcinogenic for employees in the catering and food industry. Henri Bastos, responsible for occupational health at Anses, expresses concern at the microphone of France Info carcinogenic potential fried foods handled by hundreds of thousands of employees in kitchens and factories. This announcement follows ANSES’s work aimed at identifying and regulating carcinogenic work processes, in order to guarantee the health and safety of workers.

Frying oils emit carcinogenic particles, according to ANSES

ANSES’s work has revealed that during frying, heat causes biochemical transformations of fats, generating polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs): fine particles and volatile organic compounds. According to the Leon Berard Cancer Center, “exposure to PAHs is classified as a proven carcinogen for lung cancer and skin cancer (Group 1). These carcinogenic substances are classified according to the European Union Regulation on Classification, Labeling and Packaging of Substances and Mixtures (CLP), but there are no similar specific criteria for carcinogenic processes. work.

ANSES was therefore asked to fill this gap. On its website, the agency specifies that the composition of frying emissions varies “depending on the type and temperature of frying, the fat used as well as the cooking time, the type of food fried and the energy source used for cooking”. Consequently, ANSES recommends better supervision of this cooking method, and regrets the lack of studies on the associated dangers.

1,400,000 people affected in the catering or agri-food industry sectors

As ANSES specifies in its press release, certain work processes, including activities or working conditions, can cause the appearance of cancers. In France, more than 1.4 million people are affected by these risks, working in particular in the catering and food industry sectors. The Agency recommends “the conduct of studies or research work to produce knowledge on the dangers, exposures and risks linked to work exposing to frying emissions, in order to be able to take into account the practices implemented in France or more widely in Europe”. With a growing number of workers exposed to potentially carcinogenic conditions, it is crucial for organizations like ANSES and public authorities to assess these risks quickly to reduce the incidence of occupational cancers.

Certain work processes, including activities or working conditions, can cause the appearance of #cancers.
Find our methodology and our latest work on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (#HAP). 👇https://t.co/QegkFNZITv

— Anses (@Anses_fr) October 24, 2024

Sources :

Occupational cancers: what are the risky work processes? – Anses – October 24, 2024
Frying oil fumes can cause cancer, warns Anses – France Info – October 25, 2024
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) – Leon Berard Cancer Center

Journalist for the Health, Love, Children and Slimming sections of FemmeActuelle.fr, I explore subjects essential to the well-being and daily life of our readers.