British scientists have warned that bread, chips, and potatoes should be cooked to a golden yellow color, to reduce the intake of a chemical that can cause cancer.

The chemical, acrylamide, is produced when starchy foods are roasted, grilled or fried at high temperatures. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is recommending that people cook food carefully and avoid browning.

The FSA is also advising that potatoes and parsnips should not be refrigerated. This is because the level of sugar rises in vegetables at low temperatures, potentially leading to an increase in the amount of acrylamide produced during cooking.

When cooked above 120 degrees, foods with high starch content such as crisps, bread, biscuits, cakes, and coffee tend to have high levels of the cancer-causing acrylamide.

During the browning process, the sugar, amino acids, and water present in foods such as bread combine to create color, flavor, aromas, and the carcinogenic acrylamide.

The FSA said that it is not clear what levels of acrylamide can be tolerated by humans, but it does believe that we are consuming too much.

Research has shown that the chemical is toxic to the DNA of mice, and causes cancer. Scientists are assuming that it is the same for humans, although there no concrete evidence.

The possible effects of the chemical include an increased risk of cancer. The chemical also has effects on the nervous and reproductive systems.

"The FSA provide no estimate of the current harm caused by either acrylamide, or the benefit from any reduction due to people following their advice," said David Spiegelhalter, professor for the public understanding of risk at the Cambridge University.

As well as providing the public with information, the FSA is also working with the concerned industry to reduce acrylamide in processed foods.