Dr Schlundt said there was 'major concern' over the detection of acrylamide at alarming levels in staple products eaten by millions every day. Dr Schlundt, the World Health Organisation's head of food safety, said after an emergency meeting in Geneva that teams of scientists in Britain, Sweden, Norway, Germany and Switzerland had confirmed the findings. They have detected acrylamide in foods such as
-fried potatoes
-crisps
-crispbreads
-breakfast cereals
Acrylamide, a human neurotoxicant and rat tumorigen, is produced in starchy foods when cooked, levels appear to be highest in foods that have been cooked at high temperatures for long periods. The substance has long been linked to many different forms of cancer, nerve damage and infertility, experts had no idea that it could produced by cooking. The 25 experts from universities and food safety authorities around the world who gathered for the three- day talks said further tests on different types of food were now urgently needed.
Acrylamide in food appears to be produced naturally as a result of baking or frying. It is also likely to be produced by grilling and roasting.
src - 2002 - https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-125403/Chips-cause-cancer.html
McDougall - Acrylamide Poisoning Research (2005)
On June 16, 2005 news warned that a 28gr serving of Lay's potato chips eaten daily exceeds safety levels for a recently discovered cancer-causing substance known as acrylamide.
Chips tested pose a risk of one or two cancers per 1000 people.
The lowest acrylamide levels among the 12 tested were found in Lay's Light KC Masterpiece BBQ chips, but they still contained 38 times the amount that the state considers acceptable.
Consistent with the cliché 'time is money' fast cooking at high temperatures means more profits for companies that are known for their 'fast and convenient foods'. Unfortunately, their methods of frying, baking, roasting, and grilling also put the consumer at risk. Rapid heating to high temperatures of an amino acid, asparagine (found in all foods) in combination with the common sugars (found in plant-foods), results in the formation of acrylamide.
Most importantly, acrylamide cannot be detected in unheated and boiled foods (100c), because the minimal temperature to cause this conversion (produce acrylamide) is 120c. Cooking temperatures above 185c readily produce acrylamide substance.
Potato chips, manufacturers can reduce (but not eliminate) acrylamide levels by changing how the chips are processed – that is cooking them at lower temperatures and lengthening their cooking times. Even without the acrylamide, these greasy chips still promote cancer by other well-known mechanisms, such as excess calories, immune-system suppression from vegetable fats, and cellular damage caused by trans-fats.
Acrylamide in food is not the result of contamination from environmental sources, but rather from heating foods containing sugars (carbohydrates). So cooked organic foods would not be expected to be any different than levels in cooked foods that are not organic.
This cancer-causing substance tends to attack the
➜ nervous system
➜ impair fertility
➜ harm genetic material
➜ induce the formation of tumors in experimental animals
Cancers of the
➜ thyroid gland
➜ female breast tissues
➜ male testicles
➜ mouth are most common
Because acrylamide causes cancer in laboratory animals in high doses, it is considered a potential human carcinogen.
WHO estimates, people consume 1 microgram/Kg of acrylamide a day, the risk of cancer is about 1 in 1000.
Stockholm University research group found one microgram of acrylamide in just 0.5gr of potato chips or 2gr of french fries. The research group estimates are that people typically eat an average of 35-40 micrograms per day of acrylamide.
In general, there is a 10 times difference in the amount of acrylamide between normal cooked and overcooked foods.
Cooking meat produces no acrylamide, does not mean meat is off the hook as a health hazard. Cooking meat has been recognized for decades to produce many very powerful cancer-causing substances including heterocyclic amines, N-nitroso compounds (nitrosamines) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (benzopyrene).
Don’t drink coffee since this beverage is made from roasted beans. Tea, even black tea with caffeine, is made by low-temperature drying processes, not roasting and therefore would have undetectable acrylamide levels.
Do not damage your foods by overheating them. Foods will always be safe with boiling and steaming, because the maximum temperature reached is only 100c.
Keep the foods below 120c. When baking breads or casseroles, using lower temperatures for longer periods will produce less acrylamide. Removing the crust from commercial breads will also reduce acrylamide exposure.
Focus on the fact that our common cancers, breast, prostate, and colon, are rare in populations whose diets are based on cooked starches and vegetables, such as the rice-eating Japanese. These people, living on their traditional diet, enjoy the world’s record for longevity and also have almost no heart disease, type-2 diabetes, or obesity. Obviously, any acrylamide formed in their foods has had no serious impact on their robust lives.
src - 2005 - https://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2005nl/jun/050600acrylamide.htm
Scientists determine safe acrylamide levels (2009)
➜ US Toxicology study - Tolerable intakes of acrylamide should be set at 2.6 micrograms per kilogram of body weight to avoid the cancer risk.
This would be equivalent to (2.6 * 70) 182 micrograms for a 70 kg human as a tolerable daily intake (TDI) for carcinogenic levels. The TDI for neurotoxicity was found to be higher, at 40 micrograms per kg per day, or 2,800 micrograms per day for a 70 kg human.
➜ Health Canada - Exposure of adults to acrylamide in food to be between 0.3 and 0.4 micrograms per kilogram of body weight per day (aka 28mg for 70kg).
➜ Sweden study - Exposure of adults to acrylamide in food to be 0.5 micrograms per kilogram of bodyweight per day (aka 30mg for 70kg).
➜ US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) - Estimated intakes to be around 0.4 micrograms per kilogram of bodyweight per day (aka 28mg for 70kg).
➜ A 2009 study, funded by the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), used a state-of-the-art physiologically-based toxicokinetic model to compare doses of acrylamide and its metabolite glycidamide in humans and rats. The researchers, led by Robert Tardiff from the Sapphire Group Inc. in Bethesda, Maryland, report their findings in Food and Chemical Toxicology. src - mirror
scr - 2009 - Bakery and snacks
American Cancer Society - Does acrylamide cause cancer? (2019)
For most people, the major potential sources of acrylamide exposure are in certain foods and in cigarette smoke. Avoiding cigarette smoke can lower your exposure to this and other harmful chemicals.
Here are some ways to reduce exposure to acrylamide in foods, according to the FDA:
-Limit foods that might be high in acrylamide, such as potato products (especially French fries and potato chips), coffee, and foods made from grains (such as breakfast cereals, cookies, and toast).
-Limit certain cooking methods, such as frying and roasting, and limit the time certain foods are cooked. Boiling and steaming do not produce acrylamide.
-Soak raw potato slices in water for 15 to 30 minutes before frying or roasting to reduce acrylamide formation during cooking. (Soaked potatoes should be drained and blotted dry before cooking to prevent splattering or fires.)
-If frying potatoes or toasting bread, cook them to a lighter color (as opposed to dark brown), which produces less acrylamide.
-Avoid storing potatoes in the refrigerator, which can result in increased acrylamide levels during cooking.
Acrylamide Questions and Answers: www.fda.gov/Food/FoodborneIllnessContaminants/ChemicalContaminants/ucm053569.htm
National Cancer Institute
Acrylamide and Cancer Risk: www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/diet/acrylamide-fact-sheet
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
ToxFAQs for Acrylamide: www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/tf.asp?id=1162&tid=236
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)
EFSA explains risk assessment: Acrylamide in food: www.efsa.europa.eu/en/corporate/pub/acrylamide150604
src - 2019 - https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-causes/acrylamide.html
when asked wasa.de (delikatess) for the baking temperature, the reply made on 18/02/2020 was :
when acknowledge this page to wasa.de, the reply made on 19/02/2020 was :
when asked wasa.se (whole grain) for the baking temperature, the reply made on 27/02/2020 was :
when asked for acrylamide to wasa.de, the reply made on 27/02/2020 was :
CIAA = European Food and Drink Federation (renamed as 'Food Drink Europe' in June 2011).
PDFs :
CIAA.Acrylamide Toolbox rev09-SEPT2006 (mirror)
Food Drink Europe.Acrylamide Toolbox 2011
Food Drink Europe.Acrylamide Toolbox 2019 (mirror)
-fried potatoes
-crisps
-crispbreads
-breakfast cereals
Acrylamide, a human neurotoxicant and rat tumorigen, is produced in starchy foods when cooked, levels appear to be highest in foods that have been cooked at high temperatures for long periods. The substance has long been linked to many different forms of cancer, nerve damage and infertility, experts had no idea that it could produced by cooking. The 25 experts from universities and food safety authorities around the world who gathered for the three- day talks said further tests on different types of food were now urgently needed.
said Dr Schlundt, added that he believed a 'significant' proportion of the 30 to 40 per cent of all cancer cases thought to be linked to diet might be caused by acrylamide.
Early experiments suggest that boiling does not increase levels of the chemical.
Acrylamide in food appears to be produced naturally as a result of baking or frying. It is also likely to be produced by grilling and roasting.
src - 2002 - https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-125403/Chips-cause-cancer.html
McDougall - Acrylamide Poisoning Research (2005)
On June 16, 2005 news warned that a 28gr serving of Lay's potato chips eaten daily exceeds safety levels for a recently discovered cancer-causing substance known as acrylamide.
Chips tested pose a risk of one or two cancers per 1000 people.
The lowest acrylamide levels among the 12 tested were found in Lay's Light KC Masterpiece BBQ chips, but they still contained 38 times the amount that the state considers acceptable.
Consistent with the cliché 'time is money' fast cooking at high temperatures means more profits for companies that are known for their 'fast and convenient foods'. Unfortunately, their methods of frying, baking, roasting, and grilling also put the consumer at risk. Rapid heating to high temperatures of an amino acid, asparagine (found in all foods) in combination with the common sugars (found in plant-foods), results in the formation of acrylamide.
Most importantly, acrylamide cannot be detected in unheated and boiled foods (100c), because the minimal temperature to cause this conversion (produce acrylamide) is 120c. Cooking temperatures above 185c readily produce acrylamide substance.
| Boiling | 100° C (212° F) |
| Steaming (sea level) | 100° C (212° F) |
| Steaming (at 5000 ft.) | 95° C (203° F) |
| Pressure Cooker | 121° C (250° F) |
| Roasting (coffee) | 190° C (374° F) to 220° C (428° F) |
| Roasting (peanuts) | 160° C (320° F) |
| Frying | 150° C (302° F) to 230° C (446° F) |
| Baking (bread crust) | 120° C (248° F) |
| Acrylamide forms | 120° C (248° F) |
Potato chips, manufacturers can reduce (but not eliminate) acrylamide levels by changing how the chips are processed – that is cooking them at lower temperatures and lengthening their cooking times. Even without the acrylamide, these greasy chips still promote cancer by other well-known mechanisms, such as excess calories, immune-system suppression from vegetable fats, and cellular damage caused by trans-fats.
Acrylamide in food is not the result of contamination from environmental sources, but rather from heating foods containing sugars (carbohydrates). So cooked organic foods would not be expected to be any different than levels in cooked foods that are not organic.
This cancer-causing substance tends to attack the
➜ nervous system
➜ impair fertility
➜ harm genetic material
➜ induce the formation of tumors in experimental animals
Cancers of the
➜ thyroid gland
➜ female breast tissues
➜ male testicles
➜ mouth are most common
Because acrylamide causes cancer in laboratory animals in high doses, it is considered a potential human carcinogen.
WHO estimates, people consume 1 microgram/Kg of acrylamide a day, the risk of cancer is about 1 in 1000.
Stockholm University research group found one microgram of acrylamide in just 0.5gr of potato chips or 2gr of french fries. The research group estimates are that people typically eat an average of 35-40 micrograms per day of acrylamide.
In general, there is a 10 times difference in the amount of acrylamide between normal cooked and overcooked foods.
Cooking meat produces no acrylamide, does not mean meat is off the hook as a health hazard. Cooking meat has been recognized for decades to produce many very powerful cancer-causing substances including heterocyclic amines, N-nitroso compounds (nitrosamines) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (benzopyrene).
Don’t drink coffee since this beverage is made from roasted beans. Tea, even black tea with caffeine, is made by low-temperature drying processes, not roasting and therefore would have undetectable acrylamide levels.
Do not damage your foods by overheating them. Foods will always be safe with boiling and steaming, because the maximum temperature reached is only 100c.
Keep the foods below 120c. When baking breads or casseroles, using lower temperatures for longer periods will produce less acrylamide. Removing the crust from commercial breads will also reduce acrylamide exposure.
Focus on the fact that our common cancers, breast, prostate, and colon, are rare in populations whose diets are based on cooked starches and vegetables, such as the rice-eating Japanese. These people, living on their traditional diet, enjoy the world’s record for longevity and also have almost no heart disease, type-2 diabetes, or obesity. Obviously, any acrylamide formed in their foods has had no serious impact on their robust lives.
| Product | Acrylamide (ppb) |
| Lay's Classic Potato Chips, OCT 15 2002 | 249 |
| Lay's Classic Potato Chips, OCT 29 2002 | 318 |
| Lay's Classic Potato Chips, NOV 05 2002, bag 1 | 319 |
| Lay's Classic Potato Chips, NOV 05 2002, bag 2 | 398 |
| Lay's Classic Potato Chips, NOV 05 2002, bag 3 | 338 |
| Wasa Original Crispbread Fiber Rye (2002) | 504 |
| Wasa Crisp 'N Light Crackerbread Sourdough Rye (2003) | 184 |
| Wasa Hearty Crispbread (2011) | 215 |
| Wasa Hearty Whole Grain Crispbread (2015) | 90 |
| values in parts per billion (ppb), but these values are similar to micrograms/Kg | |
| source FDA - Survey Data on Acrylamide in Food: Individual Food Products |
src - 2005 - https://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2005nl/jun/050600acrylamide.htm
Scientists determine safe acrylamide levels (2009)
➜ US Toxicology study - Tolerable intakes of acrylamide should be set at 2.6 micrograms per kilogram of body weight to avoid the cancer risk.
This would be equivalent to (2.6 * 70) 182 micrograms for a 70 kg human as a tolerable daily intake (TDI) for carcinogenic levels. The TDI for neurotoxicity was found to be higher, at 40 micrograms per kg per day, or 2,800 micrograms per day for a 70 kg human.
➜ Health Canada - Exposure of adults to acrylamide in food to be between 0.3 and 0.4 micrograms per kilogram of body weight per day (aka 28mg for 70kg).
➜ Sweden study - Exposure of adults to acrylamide in food to be 0.5 micrograms per kilogram of bodyweight per day (aka 30mg for 70kg).
➜ US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) - Estimated intakes to be around 0.4 micrograms per kilogram of bodyweight per day (aka 28mg for 70kg).
➜ A 2009 study, funded by the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), used a state-of-the-art physiologically-based toxicokinetic model to compare doses of acrylamide and its metabolite glycidamide in humans and rats. The researchers, led by Robert Tardiff from the Sapphire Group Inc. in Bethesda, Maryland, report their findings in Food and Chemical Toxicology. src - mirror
scr - 2009 - Bakery and snacks
American Cancer Society - Does acrylamide cause cancer? (2019)
For most people, the major potential sources of acrylamide exposure are in certain foods and in cigarette smoke. Avoiding cigarette smoke can lower your exposure to this and other harmful chemicals.
Here are some ways to reduce exposure to acrylamide in foods, according to the FDA:
-Limit foods that might be high in acrylamide, such as potato products (especially French fries and potato chips), coffee, and foods made from grains (such as breakfast cereals, cookies, and toast).
-Limit certain cooking methods, such as frying and roasting, and limit the time certain foods are cooked. Boiling and steaming do not produce acrylamide.
-Soak raw potato slices in water for 15 to 30 minutes before frying or roasting to reduce acrylamide formation during cooking. (Soaked potatoes should be drained and blotted dry before cooking to prevent splattering or fires.)
-If frying potatoes or toasting bread, cook them to a lighter color (as opposed to dark brown), which produces less acrylamide.
-Avoid storing potatoes in the refrigerator, which can result in increased acrylamide levels during cooking.
- The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies acrylamide as a “probable human carcinogen.”
- The US National Toxicology Program (NTP) has classified acrylamide as “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen.”
- The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classifies acrylamide as “likely to be carcinogenic to humans.”
Acrylamide Questions and Answers: www.fda.gov/Food/FoodborneIllnessContaminants/ChemicalContaminants/ucm053569.htm
National Cancer Institute
Acrylamide and Cancer Risk: www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/diet/acrylamide-fact-sheet
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
ToxFAQs for Acrylamide: www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/tf.asp?id=1162&tid=236
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)
EFSA explains risk assessment: Acrylamide in food: www.efsa.europa.eu/en/corporate/pub/acrylamide150604
src - 2019 - https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-causes/acrylamide.html
when asked wasa.de (delikatess) for the baking temperature, the reply made on 18/02/2020 was :
when acknowledge this page to wasa.de, the reply made on 19/02/2020 was :
when asked wasa.se (whole grain) for the baking temperature, the reply made on 27/02/2020 was :
when asked for acrylamide to wasa.de, the reply made on 27/02/2020 was :
CIAA = European Food and Drink Federation (renamed as 'Food Drink Europe' in June 2011).
PDFs :
CIAA.Acrylamide Toolbox rev09-SEPT2006 (mirror)
Food Drink Europe.Acrylamide Toolbox 2011
Food Drink Europe.Acrylamide Toolbox 2019 (mirror)