When your toast burns, do you remove the burnt crumbs with a knife? This isn’t necessarily a bad idea.

In 2002, scientists at Stockholm University discovered that a substance called acrylamide is formed when certain foods are baked at temperatures above 120 degrees Celsius, including cereals, potatoes, bread and coffee.

The sugars it contains react with the amino acid asparagine. This process is called the Maillard reaction and produces a brown color that imparts a characteristic taste.