A recent study published in the scientific journal Science of Food and Agriculture shows that potatoes dipped in water before being fried will contain less acrylamides, a cancerous substance found in foods cooked at high temperatures, as well as in certain plastics.
Dr. Rachel Burch of Leatherhead Food International explained, "There has been much research done by the food industry looking at reducing acrylamide in products but less so on foods cooked at home and we wanted to explore ways of reducing the level of acrylamide in home cooking."
The rate of acrylamides will drop by 23% in potatoes that are made into french fries, if they are dipped in water first.