Acrylamide and food
What is acrylamide?
Acrylamide is a chemical that can form in starchy foods during cooking. The main mechanism for formation of acrylamide occurs from heating sugars with amino acids (mainly asparagine) in what is called a Maillard reaction.
Acrylamide was discovered in foods in April 2002 by scientists in Sweden when they found the chemical in starchy foods, such as potato chips, French fries and bread. These foods are cooked at high temperatures and it has been shown that production of acrylamide is temperature-dependent.
The major foods in which acrylamide has been detected include fried or roasted potato products, coffee, and cereal-based products (including sweet biscuits and toasted bread).
Does acrylamide in food present a health problem?
A recent Food and Agriculture Organization and World Health Organization Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) meeting (February, 2010) determined that there is evidence that acrylamide can cause cancer in laboratory animals [1] .
While there is currently no proven scientific evidence which links acrylamide with an increased risk of cancer in humans, all food regulatory agencies around the world are promoting a reduction in exposure to acrylamide in food by encouraging new technological strategies aimed at reducing its formation.
FSANZ has also assessed all the new data and agrees with the JECFA conclusions. FSANZ acknowledges that there is a need for ongoing research on health impacts of acrylamide in food and for international collaboration to monitor progress in understanding the safety of acrylamide in food.
What is the exposure of Australian and New Zealand consumers to acrylamide?
In 2004 FSANZ reported the estimated dietary exposure of Australians to acrylamide. This assessment used data generated for more than 100 carbohydrate-based foods available in Australia by the Australian Government Analytical Laboratories, together with consumption information from the 1995 National Nutrition Survey.
This assessment showed estimated mean daily exposure to acrylamide of 0.5 micrograms per kilogram of bodyweight for Australians aged 2 years and above. For high consumers, dietary exposure was estimated at 1.5 micrograms per kilogram of bodyweight. These findings are the same order of magnitude as estimated dietary exposures reported by the Food Agricultural Organisation and the World Health Organisation (FAO/WHO) studies. Major contributors to acrylamide exposure for Australian consumers were hot potato chips, white toast, sweet plain biscuits and breakfast cereals (wheat biscuits style). [2]
Since 2004, FSANZ has analysed acrylamide levels in a range of coffees, as coffees were not included in the earlier analyses. Coffee consumption would increase estimated exposure to acrylamide by up to about 15% above earlier estimates. Even taking this increase in estimated exposure due to coffee consumption into account, overall exposure to the Australian population would remain the same order of magnitude as estimated dietary exposures reported by the FAO/WHO and other countries.
The New Zealand Food Safety Agency in 2006 reported on a range of foods commonly consumed in the New Zealand diet that contain acrylamide which includedpotato crisps, beer, tea, coffee, kumara and pizza. Dietary exposure estimates of between 0.9 to 2.4 micrograms per kilogram of bodyweight were reportedandcooked potatoes were one of the major contributors to the dietary intake of acrylamide.
What is being done to reduce acrylamide levels in food?
Various methods to reduce acrylamide formation in food have been investigated by industry, for example, new farming and processing techniques to provide ingredients that produce lower levels of acrylamide, reducing cooking temperatures, use of enzymes that reduce acrylamide formation in food and sourcing of raw materials with lower reducing sugar levels [3] . Reducing acrylamide formation is challenging. Some food commodities, such as coffee have limited ability to effectively reduce acrylamide formation without adversely affecting the consumer acceptance of the food. FSANZ is aware that specific acrylamide reduction techniques that are effective for particular foods have been adopted by some food manufacturers in Australia and New Zealand.
Are there any international actions underway in relation to acrylamide in food?
On 21 February 2009, Health Canada released a draft screening assessment report for certain chemical substances identified as part of the Government of Canada Chemicals Management Plan, including acrylamide [4]
As part of Canada’s overall risk management plan, Health Canada is monitoring the levels of acrylamide in a range of foods and beverages, working actively with industry to reduce levels of acrylamide and will monitor the effectiveness of these measures.
On 30 April 2009, in Europe a second report on the levels of acrylamide in food was released. The report concluded that whilst there seems to be an overall trend towards lower acrylamide values over time, this trend was not consistent across food groups. Coffee was also found to be an important contributor to acrylamide exposure in Europe [5].
In September 2009, the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) published a notice suggesting that they may issue guidelines on the acrylamide content of food. In addition, the USFDA is seeking more information on the levels of acrylamide the industry is finding in its products before and after reduction methods [6] .
What is FSANZ currently doing about acrylamide?
While it appears that we have been living with acrylamide in our food for generations, and there is no proof that the amounts present in carbohydrate-based foods are harmful to humans, it is clearly undesirable to have such a chemical in our food.
FSANZ has undertaken the following activities in relation to acrylamide:
- Assessed the dietary exposure of Australian consumers to acrylamide and determined what foods are major contributors to exposure.
- Approved two Applications for permission to use enzymes that reduce the formation of acrylamide in cereal-based foods, bread, potato flour based products and savoury ingredients.
- Liaised with the Australian food industry to encourage and support them to examine ways in which manufacturing practices might be changed to reduce acrylamide formation in foods. Part of this will include a follow up of the effectiveness of the recently approved enzymes in reducing levels acrylamide levels in a range of foods.
- In conjunction with key food industry bodies, urged the adoption of the ‘Acrylamide toolbox’ produced by the Confederation of the Food and Drink Industries of the EU (the CIAA). This toolbox is aimed to assist food manufacturers to use the most current research appropriate for their products and manufacturing processes to reduce the formation of acrylamide.
- Participated in a working group for the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Food which finalised a Code of Practice (COP) for the reduction of acrylamide in food.
We will continue to monitor dietary exposure to acrylamide and work with other national Governments to better understand the potential health risk from exposure to acrylamide in the diet. FSANZ will be conducting an analysis of acrylamide in a range of common foods and beverages in the near future. FSANZ also continues to encourage industry to reduce levels of acrylamide in food.
What can I do as a consumer to reduce acrylamide in the foods I eat?
FSANZ continues to recommend that consumers should eat a balanced diet containing a wide variety of nutritious foods and (including a broad range of fruit and vegetables), and to limit saturated fat and moderate total fat intakes as per the current Australian and New Zealand Dietary Guidelines [7] .
You can also lower exposure to acrylamide from certain foods prepared in the home by following these suggestions:
- Some food processors, in Australia and New Zealand and internationally, have already adjusted their cooking instructions based on recent scientific findings, to ensure that acrylamide levels are reduced in their food products, prepared at home or in a restaurant. Always follow the manufacturer's cooking instructions regarding quantity, cooking time and temperature.
- Recent scientific findings suggest cooking potato chips to a light golden color and using maximum temperatures of 175°C (350°F) when deep-frying and 230°C (450°F) when baking.
- Do not store potatoes below 8°C (low temperature storage can increase the components that contribute to acrylamide formation).
- Wash or soak fresh cut potatoes in water for several minutes before frying (this can reduce the components that contribute to acrylamide formation).
- When toasting bread or baked goods:
- Toast to the lightest colour acceptable.
- The crust of toast or bread will have higher levels of acrylamide than the remainder, even though these levels are lower than those in french fries and potato chips. You may wish to remove the crust if it is dark or burned.
March 2010
Further reading
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/release32/en/index.html
http://www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/chem/acrylamide_faqs/en/
http://www.codexalimentarius.net/download/standards/11258/CXP_067e.pdf
http://www.ciaa.be/asp/documents/l1.asp?doc_id=822
http://www.nzfsa.govt.nz/consumers/chemicals-nutrients-additives-and-toxins/acrylamide/index.htm
http://www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/chem/summary72.pdf
[2] Croft et al (2004) Australian survey of acrylamide in carbohydrate-based foods. Food Additives and Contaminants, 21, 721-736.