Reusing cooking oil for frying food raises cancer risk

June 18, 2001; BANGKOK - People who enjoy their fried food have been warned about cancer as studies show the killer disease is linked to oil used repeatedly for frying.

Food prepared from cooking oil that has been used repeatedly is likely to be contaminated by cancer-causing dioxins, according to the director of the Institute for Scientific and Technological Research, Mr Phirasak Worasuntharosot.

Advertisement Laboratory - though not clinical - tests indicated that cooking oil used more than a few times released carcinogenic free radicals - or dioxins.

He said hospitals were swamped with cancer cases and attributed the high number to people eating food cooked in lard or vegetable oil that had been used more than once.

A spokesman for Kentucky Fried Chicken said its 200 outlets nationwide sold their used oil to animal-feed producers.

And a McDonald Thai Co spokesman said the company ensured its oil was only used a few times.