Colorado State University Extension
SafeFood Rapid Response Network
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Acrylamide in our Food
Edited by: Mary Schroeder, M.S., R.D. & Pat Kendall, Ph.D., R.D., Colorado State - Fall 2002
Last April, researchers at the Swedish National Food Administration and Stockholm University reported finding the chemical acrylamide in a variety of fried and oven-baked foods. Their preliminary research indicated that acrylamide formation was associated with high temperature cooking processes, particularly for certain carbohydrate-rich foods. Since the Swedish report, similar findings have been reported by Norway, the United Kingdom and Switzerland. Preliminary analysis by the FDA suggests that U.S. results will be in basic agreement with these findings. Acrylamide is known to cause cancer in laboratory animals and is therefore considered a potential human carcinogen and thus the discovery of its presence in food is a concern.
Acrylamide has not been shown to be present in food before cooking. The substance appears to be formed as a byproduct of high-temperature cooking processes, greater than 248º F. FDA reports that at this point not enough is known about acrylamide to identify safe modifications to food processing techniques that will prevent or reduce its formation.
The impact of acrylamide on the public's health is not clear at this point and FDA has a draft action plan for looking more closely at the implications and risk of acrylamide being present in food. More information is needed about which foods acrylamide is formed in, levels of acrylamide in foods, dietary exposure to acrylamide, the bioavailability of acrylamide in food, the potential of acrylamide to cause cancer when consumed in food, acrylamide's potential to cause germ cell mutations, and biomarkers of acrylamide exposure.
During June 2002, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) convened an expert consultation on acrylamide. The consultation concluded that the presence of acrylamide in food is a major concern, and recommended more research on mechanisms of formation and toxicity. At this point, both the WHO/FAO consultation and the FDA are recommending that people continue to eat a balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables. The WHO/FAO consultation also advises that food not be cooked excessively, i.e., for too long or at too high a temperature, but that it is important to cook all foods thoroughly, particularly meat and meat products, to destroy foodborne pathogens that might be present.
For additional information on FDA's plan of activities related to acrylamide refer to their draft action plan at: www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/acryplan.html.
Source: FDA Draft Action Plan for Acrylamide in Food. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Office of Plant & Dairy Foods & Beverages, September 20, 2002.
