Acrylamide is a toxic byproduct of the processing of foods that are high in carbohydrates and/or an amino acid called asparagines. When these foods are exposed to high temperatures (e.g., baking, frying, grilling, roasting, broiling), the cancer-causing, potentially neurotoxic chemical called acrylamide is formed. Uncooked and boiled foods almost never contain detectable levels of acrylamide.
Acrylamide is a serious health hazard, with several large-scale studies showing an association between breast and ovarian cancers and ingestion of the toxin. Although no positive link between acrylamide and prostate cancer has yet been shown, acrylamide is clearly a chemical that has a cancer connection and should be avoided. In fact, the International Agency for Research on Cancer named acrylamide a “probable human carcinogen.”
While the federal limit for acrylamide in drinking water is 0.5 parts per billion (ppb; equivalent to about 0.12 micrograms in one cup of water), a six-ounce serving of French fries can provide 60 micrograms of acrylamide, which is more than 500 times the acceptable limit. French fries, whether they are fried in oil or baked, are among the foods highest in acrylamide, and the same holds true for potato chips.
After a 2005 analysis of potato chip brands showed that all of them had levels of acrylamide exceeding the legal limit by 39 to 910 times, Frito-Lay and several other potato chip manufacturers said they would lower their acrylamide levels to 275 ppb by 2011, which is just low enough to allow them to avoid putting a cancer warning label on their products. However, potato chips still contain high levels of acrylamide, as do many other foods (listed below).
While heating foods to high temperatures can lead to the formation of acrylamide, as many as 52 other potential cancer-causing compounds can form as well, according to research by the Swedish National Food Agency, “Heat-Generated Food Toxicants (HEATOX).” The best way to avoid acrylamide and other heat-generated food toxins as much as possible is to not eat foods that have been prepared or processed at high temperatures. For example, heterocyclic amines (HCAs) form when meat is cooked at high temperatures, and especially charred meat. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) develop when fat falls onto the heat source and causes smoke, which can transfer cancer-causing PAHs to the meat. Both PAHs and HCAs may increase the risk of cancer, including prostate cancer due to the association between meat and prostate cancer. Yet another common heat-generated food toxin is advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which form when protein foods (meats, grains, beans, vegetables) are cooked with sugars in the absence of water at high temperatures, and even when these foods are sterilized or pasteurized.
Top 20 Foods That Contain Acrylamide (FDA)
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Bagels |
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Breaded chicken |
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Breakfast cereals |
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Brewed coffee |
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Burrito/tostada |
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Cakes and pies |
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Chile con carne |
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Cookies |
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Corn snacks |
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Crackers |
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French fries (baked in the oven) |
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French fries (prepared in restaurants) |
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Peanut butter |
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Pizza |
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Popcorn |
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Potato chips |
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Pretzels |
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Soft bread |
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Soup mix (Onion) |
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Toast |
See also
Environmental Chemicals That Cause Cancer – The Presidents Cancer Panel Report
US Department of Health Carcinogen Report
Reference
National Food Agency: http://www.slv.se/default.aspx?id=1379&epslanguage=EN-GB
