National Cheng Kung University's research center recently released a list of the most carcinogenic food items, with cooking oil, candy, and processed food being labeled as "high-risk" categories.
Vegetable oils refined at high temperatures produce multiple carcinogens, including 2-MCPD, 3-MCPD, and glycidyl fatty acid esters. When ingested, glycidyl fatty acid esters turn into glycidyl, which is an even more toxic carcinogen. National Cheng Kung University's Research Center of Environmental Trace Toxic Substances, which has been testing food products for the Ministry of Science and Technology, found that the top three types of foods containing the highest levels of these three carcinogens are cooking oils, candy, and cookies, and processed foods.
Lee Ching-chang, Environmental Medicine Professor, NCKU: “These are very commonly ingested in Taiwan. Everyone should stay away from fried food, foods baked at high temperatures, and high-fat foods.”
The center spent two years testing 280 food products and 28 condiments. It identified six high-risk categories of food containing the highest level of the three carcinogens: cooking oil, infant and children's food products, baked goods containing pre-roasted grains, dried beans and nuts, cookies and candy, and compound processed foods like dumplings, instant noodles, and hamburgers. The team also found high levels of the three carcinogens in infant formula due to the addition of refined vegetable oils. In Taiwan, infants and young children are exposed to 3-MCPD levels eight times higher than the allowable limit set by the European Union.
Chao Ming-wei, Toxicologist: “(The European Union's allowable 3-MCPD level) for adults weighing 60 kilograms is no more than 4.8 micrograms per day. This means if your child is having over 100 grams of infant formula a day, it is over the limit. ”
Palm kernel oil, meanwhile, was found to contain over six times the EU limit for glycidyl fatty acid esters and over two times the EU limit for 3-MCPD. Palm kernel oil ranked first for glycidyl fatty acid ester levels, followed by rice bran oil, corn oil, margarine, and shortening. Experts say people in Taiwan regardless of age ingest more than the EU's allowable limit of these three carcinogens on a daily basis, with exposure higher at lower ages. They are calling on the government to set corporate monitoring guidelines for food manufacturers as soon as possible.
植物油經高溫精製後，會產出三大類致癌物質，包括「2單氯丙二醇酯」、「3單氯丙二醇酯」，以及「縮水甘油酯」。其中「縮水甘油酯」吃進人體後，會水解為毒性較高的「縮水甘油」，已被國際癌症研究署，列為「人類極有可能致癌物」。而成大毒物研究中心，近來接受科技部委託，進行一項大規模食品調查研究。這三大有害物質含量最高，前3類食品，依序是油品、糖果餅乾及複合食品。
成大環境醫學所教授李俊璋表示:「這跟我們國人飲食習慣有關啦，油炸高溫烘焙的食品，還有油脂比較高的食品儘量少吃。」
成大毒物研究中心，花了兩年時間，蒐集市售，12大類，280項食品與28項調味品，包括油品、嬰幼兒食品、經過烘焙再製的全穀雜糧、乾豆堅果類、糖果餅乾類，以及複合食品，像是水餃、泡麵及漢堡等，是屬於含有三大類致癌物質，六大類高風險食品。另外，研究發現，零到三歲食品的奶粉，也添加不少油，含有三項有害物質含量也很高，其中"三單氯丙二醇酯"，嬰幼兒暴露量，約是歐盟規定八倍。
毒理醫學專家招名威表示:「（目前歐盟規定)60公斤的成年人，他一天他最多就只能攝取4.8微克，換算成奶粉的話就是等於一天吃超過100克的奶粉， 其實這樣子就已經超標了。」
另外，油品中，以棕櫚油含量最高，縮水甘油酯含量，超過歐盟規定6倍以上，3單氯丙二醇酯，超過歐盟2倍以上，其次是玄米油，玉米胚芽油、人造奶油，及作糕點常用的酥油，含量也相當高。毒物專家表示，換算不同年齡層，民眾吃下這3項有害物質暴露劑量，發現都超過歐盟規定劑量，隨著年齡層愈小暴露量愈大，建議中央，應該比照「塑化劑」，訂定「企業監測指引」，讓廠商製作食品，有參考依據。