Does Cooking In Air Fryer Cause Cancer? | The Acrylamide

You’ve probably seen the headline or heard the rumor: “Air fryers cause cancer.” It sounds alarming, and it spreads fast — usually with a reference to a chemical called acrylamide. The whole thing feels like another kitchen scare you don’t have time for.

The truth is more specific. Air fryers themselves are not the problem. But the high-heat cooking they use can create acrylamide in certain foods, especially starchy ones like potatoes. The risk is about what and how you cook, not the appliance itself. Here’s what the research actually says.

Why The Acrylamide Scare Sticks

Acrylamide sounds like something industrial, and that’s part of why the worry feels reasonable. It forms naturally during high-temperature cooking — frying, roasting, baking — when sugars react with an amino acid called asparagine in starchy foods. The reaction happens above roughly 120°C (248°F).

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies acrylamide as a Probable human carcinogen, meaning animal studies show a link to cancer, but human evidence is less clear. That “probable” label matters — it’s not the same as a known carcinogen like tobacco or asbestos.

Air fryers caught attention because they cook at high heat, which triggers the same Maillard reaction that gives roasted potatoes their golden crust. That reaction also creates acrylamide, so people connected the dots — and the fear stuck.

How Air Frying Compares To Other Methods

The real question isn’t whether air fryers create acrylamide — it’s whether they create more or less than deep frying, which is the baseline most people compare against. A 2024 study published in a peer-reviewed journal put the numbers side by side for potato samples.

• Deep frying: Produced the highest acrylamide levels of the three methods tested. The combination of high oil temperature and prolonged cook time drives more formation.
• Air frying: Showed significantly lower acrylamide levels than deep frying in the same samples. The lower cooking temperature and reduced oil content likely explain the difference.
• Oven frying: Yielded the lowest acrylamide levels among the three, slightly below air frying. The slower, more even heat may limit the sugar-asparagine reaction.
• Boiling and steaming: Don’t reach the temperatures needed for acrylamide formation — below 120°C — so they effectively eliminate the concern. Great alternatives for starchy sides.
• Roasting: Sits somewhere between air frying and deep frying depending on temperature and time. Darker roasts produce more acrylamide.

So switching from deep frying to air frying likely reduces your acrylamide exposure, not increases it. The scare often misses this comparison entirely.

Simple Steps To Lower Acrylamide In Your Air Fryer

The FDA offers practical guidance for reducing acrylamide formation at home, and most of it fits easily into your air fryer routine. A few small changes can make a real difference, especially if you cook potatoes or other starchy vegetables regularly.

Soaking raw potato slices in water for 15 to 30 minutes before air frying helps draw out surface sugars and asparagine, which limits the raw material for acrylamide formation. Just drain and blot dry before cooking to avoid excess moisture splattering in the basket.

Storage also matters. Potatoes stored in the refrigerator tend to convert more starch to reducing sugars, which increases acrylamide during cooking. Keep them in a cool, dark pantry instead — the FDA specifically warns against refrigeration for this reason.

These steps come from food safety authorities and peer-reviewed research, not from obscure blogs. The FD-A’s cooking in air fryer guidance covers the storage and soaking recommendations in detail.

What The 2024 Studies Actually Show

Two 2024 studies give us the clearest picture yet. The first, published in PubMed, examined high-risk factors for acrylamide formation and found that cooking at a high temperature for a short time — for example, 170°C for 13 minutes — greatly reduces acrylamide compared to cooking at a lower temperature for a longer time.

The second study, in PMC, directly compared air frying to deep frying and oven frying in potato samples. Air frying produced significantly less acrylamide than deep frying, though slightly more than oven frying. Both studies confirm that cooking time and temperature matter more than the appliance itself.

A 2024 study also showed that blanching potatoes before air frying reduced acrylamide content further than raw air frying. That’s an extra step, but it stacks reduction on top of reduction.

1. Cook at higher temp for shorter time — 170°C for about 13 minutes works well for most fries.
2. Blanch or soak potatoes first — this removes surface sugars before heat hits them.
3. Avoid excessive browning — aim for golden yellow, not dark brown or charred.
4. Rotate the basket mid-cook — prevents hot spots that cause uneven acrylamide formation.

Context On Dietary Acrylamide Exposure

The FD-A points out that acrylamide is present in about 40% of the calories consumed in the average American diet. Coffee, potato products, and cereal grains are the main sources. That context matters — air fryers are one small part of a much larger picture.

Current levels of acrylamide in food are generally considered safe by the FD-A, which continues to study long-term health effects. The World Health Organization and European Food Safety Authority also monitor it closely. No major health authority has recommended avoiding air fryers.

For perspective, switching from deep frying to air frying likely reduces your acrylamide exposure. Adding a soak or blanch step reduces it further. You don’t need to eliminate all sources of acrylamide — just choose cooking habits that keep it moderate.

The Bottom Line

The fear that air fryers cause cancer oversimplifies a more specific truth: high-heat cooking of starchy foods creates acrylamide, a probable carcinogen. Air fryers actually produce less of it than deep frying, and simple steps like soaking potatoes, avoiding dark browning, and cooking at the right temperature can reduce it further. The appliance itself is not the problem — your cooking habits are.

A registered dietitian can help you balance your overall acrylamide exposure across all the foods you eat, especially if potatoes, coffee, or grains are daily staples in your kitchen.