Thought for Food Blog

How Dangerous is Acrylamide?

How dangerous is acrylamide | IFIS Publishing

Acrylamide – otherwise known as acrylic amide – is a chemical compound with the chemical formula C3H5NO. Its International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) name is prop-2-enamide. Soluble in chloroform, ether, ethanol and water, it is a white odourless crystalline solid.

In 2002, Professor Margareta Törnqvist et al published their ‘Analysis of acrylamide, a carcinogen formed in heated foodstuffs’ in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. They discovered that acrylamide occurs in numerous starchy, carbohydrate-rich foods, such as crisps (potato chips), chips (French fries) and bread, when cooked at high temperatures.

It was not found in foodstuffs that had been boiled or in foods that were not heated. The primary health concern was that acrylamide was a possible carcinogen; a concern that has now been confirmed.

In February 2009, Health Canada announced that they were assessing whether acrylamide was a risk to human health and whether any regulatory action needed to be taken. After collecting information on the properties and prevalence of acrylamide in certain foods the Federal department made their initial assessment. Following a positive reception from the food industry, in December 2009 Health Canada invited comment from the public on their proposal.

The European Chemical Agency (ECHA) added acrylamide to the list of Substances of Very High Concern (SVHCs) in March 2010.

It is now widely acknowledged that acrylamide levels increase as food is heated for longer periods of time. Though researchers are still unsure of the precise way in which acrylamide forms in foods, many believe it is a byproduct of the Maillard reaction – a form of nonenzymatic browning; a chemical reaction between an amino acid and a reducing sugar, typically requiring heat.

It has been hypothesised that in fried or baked foodstuffs, acrylamide may be produced by the reaction between asparagine (a common natural amino acid) and reducing sugars (for example, fructose, glucose) or reactive carbonyls at temperatures above 120 °C (248 °F).

According to research findings held within The Carcinogenic Potency Database (CPDB), acrylamide causes cancer in rats when administered orally in high-dose experiments; increasing tumors in the nervous system, oral cavity, peritoneum, thyroid gland, mammary gland, uterus, and clitoris. However, the dose that gave cancer to 10 percent of the rats was 900 times greater than the average human exposure to acrylamide in a typical diet.

Sources of naturally occurring acrylamide

  • In several Total Diet Studies (TDS) undertaken by the FDA between 2002 and 2006, acrylamide has been found in black olives.

  • Researchers at ETH Zurich’s Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health have also discovered the presence of the chemical compound in prunes and dried pears.

  • Estimates for the proportion of acrylamide in adults’ diet coming from the consumption of coffee range from 20 to 40 percent.

  • Prune juice has a high concentration of acrylamide, though adults consume it in far smaller quantities.

Regulation

It may seem surprising but, as yet, there are no legal control measures for acrylamide in foods in the EU and US.

Far from being neglectful, regulatory authorities, including the UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA), are continuing to fund and conduct further investigation.

The Agency's research includes projects investigating acrylamide in the UK diet, the effect of domestic cooking on acrylamide in food, how acrylamide is formed and how acrylamide levels can be reduced.

However, the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) insists that industry efforts to reduce levels have been successful and no additional regulation and bureaucracy is needed.

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Image Credit: Gilly on Unsplash



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