We are routinely warned about the health hazards associated with food additives such as monosodium glutamate, artificial colorings, and sodium nitrate. But what about potentially dangerous substances that form during preparation of foods? Acrylamide is such a substance, and it is found in some common and popular food items loved by kids (and adults) of all ages.
Recently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) took two steps toward managing this potentially dangerous food component. It asked the National Toxicology Program (NTP) to study acrylamide in animals to get a better understanding of how the chemical can impact humans.
The other step was to issue a Draft Guidance for Industry: Acrylamide in Foods (November 2013). This guidance is designed to “help growers, manufacturers, and food service operators reduce acrylamide in certain foods” but it does not provide any specific recommended actions or levels of the substance in foods. The FDA has stated that it will “update this guidance as needed to reflect new developments in the field of acrylamide reduction.”
In light of these latest developments, it seemed like a good time to take another look at acrylamide, some of the research, and the foods you should avoid.
A Primer on Acrylamide
Acrylamide is a chemical that can form in certain foods that contain a significant amount of carbohydrates when they are prepared using high-temperature methods, such as in roasting, grilling, baking, and frying. Although experts identified acrylamide in 2002, it’s probably been around ever since humans have cooked specific foods in these ways.
Acrylamide is created when asparagine (an amino acid) and sugars (glucose, fructose) in the food interact in the presence of high temperatures. That interaction is called the Maillard reaction, and it also has good qualities, as it contributes to the taste, smell, and color of cooked foods. The creation of acrylamide, however, is not so good.
What the research shows
The NTP research mentioned above involved several two-year studies. Basically, the researchers found that acrylamide placed in the drinking water of rats and mice caused thyroid, mammary, and other tumors in both sexes of the animals.
Read more about the top 5 cancer-causing foods
In an earlier (2012) study from The Netherlands, the researchers found evidence that acrylamide may increase the risk of developing follicular lymphoma and multiple myeloma in men. A 2010 Harvard study noted that the risk of endometrial cancer and perhaps ovarian cancer as well was higher among women who consumed a high amount of acrylamide.
12 Foods That Develop Acrylamide
The FDA has a list of some common foods and their acrylamide levels, although the information is about a decade old. Overall, however, here are the foods you should avoid if you want to keep acrylamide levels low in your diet.
- French fries-probably the biggest culprit
- Potato chips-a close second
- Onion rings and other fried breaded veggies
- Coffee-the acrylamide forms during the roasting process and not when you brew the coffee
- Doughnuts-fried
- Toast-the more lightly browned the better
- Cookies and cakes
- Popcorn
- Breakfast cereals
- Pizza
- Soup mixes
- Snack foods (other than potato chips)
The foods in some categories range widely in the amount of acrylamide they may contain. One brand of dry onion soup mix, for example, reportedly contains 90 parts per billion (ppb) of acrylamide while another has more than 10 times as much (1,184 ppb).
How worried should you be about acrylamide in your food? The jury is still out on this substance, and the general public does not have access to a current, reliable list of how much acrylamide is in available foods. However, you may want to challenge the words of the old commercial about potato chips that dared you to eat just one and avoid or limit foods known to contain acrylamide.
Image: Kham Tran
