Is your toaster poisoning you? Extraordinary claims from study

Grabbing a piece of toast in the morning for a quick breakfast may seem like an easy and healthy option for some but a new study has revealed it could be harming your health.

Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have urged people to “go for gold” with their toast instead of letting bits of it turn black in a bid to minimise the exposure of harmful particles inside toasters, The Times reports.

Through thorough research, scientists have discovered it’s best to cook bread on a low setting turning it a light golden colour as further toasting can in some cases expose people to more pollution than standing at a busy road intersection.

In fact, according to researcher Marina Vance, by simply turning on a toaster, you are releasing toxic particles into the air inside your home.

Speaking at the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington last week, Vance explained how the heating element in a toaster warms up any debris and “gunk” in a toaster, including oils, leading to a significant risk for anyone in its proximity.

“If there’s tiny pieces of bread touching the heating element you can see the smoke, maybe from crumbs at the bottom of the toaster – they will make a lot of particles,” The Times reported she said. “It led to what would be considered ‘very unhealthy’ air pollution levels if compared to outdoor air quality standards.”

Along with burnt toast, certain cleaning agents, wood burning stoves and scented candles were also revealed as powerful polluters.

Read more: Why burnt toast could be disastrous for your health

This isn’t the first time the harmful effects of burnt toast have been brought into the spotlight. Back in 2017 the Food Standards Agency in the UK launched a special “go for gold campaign” to encourage people to cook their toast to a golden yellow colour to avoid exposure to harmful chemicals.

This followed research by the agency, published by The Age, which found the more burned bread was the higher the level of acrylamide – a notorious cancer-causing toxin. In fact, the crispiest toast contained around 19 times more acrylamide than lightly toasted bread.

The organisation’s chief scientific advisor suggested that bread should be toasted to “the lightest colour acceptable” with even just one minute less making all the difference.

What are your thoughts on this? How do you like to eat your toast?