Can air fryer give you cancer?

The air fryer operates through convection, generating tiny droplets of oil that circulate around the food in conjunction with hot air.

Air fryers are versatile and can be used to prepare a range of foods, from your traditional chicken to even puris (remember that viral-zero oil recipe for making puris?, that was done with the help of air fryers).

However, lately, numerous videos are circulating online, attempting to "expose the truth behind air fryers", claiming that air fryers are linked to various diseases, including cancer.

Dr Roohi Pirzada, a senior physician and critical care specialist from Mumbai explains that most air fryers made after 2013 are made using Teflon which does not incorporate harmful perfluorooctanoic acid (a synthetic chemical), hence they are safe to use.

Dr Pooja Babbar, a consultant of medical oncology at CK Birla Hospital, Gurugram, says that the issue is that the ‘coating of air fryers’ is made of ceramic and plastic, and when it is exposed to high temperatures, it does create a chemical that interacts with your DNA and RNA, and causes damage, and could be 'source of a probable carcinogen'.

This chemical which concerns several experts is known as acrylamide, and it is formed when food is heated to temperatures above 120°C.

Now, that does not mean that acrylamide is only produced in air fryers.

In fact, almost all methods of cooking, including deep-frying and even baking, are known to form acrylamide if the food is burned or heated at a very high temperature.

However, Dr Babbar says that the formation of acrylamide can be higher in air fryers if we don't use it cautiously.

The air fryer operates through convection, generating tiny droplets of oil that circulate around the food in conjunction with hot air. This results in cooking that mimics deep-frying - crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. However, because the air circulates at temperatures exceeding 120 degrees Celsius, it can produce acrylamide, a probable carcinogen.

Dr Babbar recommends that the best way to be safe is to use air fryers that have a stainless steel coating.

“The production of acrylamide in stainless steel coated air fryers is very low and, along with that, you also get a healthy method of cooking,” says Dr Babbar.

Dr Prakash explains that compared to deep-frying, air fryers use significantly less oil, which means less fat and calories in your food.
They may also reduce the formation of harmful compounds linked to deep-frying.

Air fryers are a modern-day cooking aid that help in lowering calorie intake and maintaining a healthy weight. However, they come with their own pros and cons.

Having said that, it is also one the safest and healthiest ways to cook your food if used at temperatures lower than 120 degrees Celsius.