Cancer Update

Government bodies, Health Canada and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), are both taking steps on reducing amounts of acrylamide in food.

A Canadian ruling added the known carcinogen to the nation’s list of toxic substances and FDA has suggested it will soon issue guidance to the food industry for reducing acrylamide amounts in food.

FDA has requested comment from the food industry by November.

Formation of acrylamide in food occurs when sugars react with the amino acid asparagine when exposed to high heat. The amount of acrylamide can depend on how long the food is exposed to the elevated temperatures.

Acrylamide is found mainly in baked or fried starchy foods such as French fries, potato chips, and cereals. It’s also found in coffee in amounts depending on how long it’s roasted—choose a light roast!

Industrial plastics, grout, some cosmetics and cigarette smoke also contain acrylamide.

In animal studies, acrylamide has been shown to increase risk of neurological problems and brain cancer. Not enough research exists to determine if acrylamide can cause cancer in humans.

Acrylamide first made headlines in 2002 when Swedish scientists discovered unexpected levels of in starchy foods. Some high-starch fried potato foods had 600 times the level normally allowed in drinking water—are you sure you want fries with that order?

The chemical made more waves in 2005 when California regulators proposed that warnings be placed on labels of products containing higher than normal levels of acrylamide. These proposals were withdrawn in 2006 after the food industry consented to reduce amounts in these foods.

Promising methods of reducing acrylamide formation in foods are treatment with asparagine-reducing enzymes or by soaking foods in antioxidants such as from green tea or bamboo leaves.
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