Every so often, a molecule called acrylamide works its way back into the public sphere of attention, usually with warnings in tow about its presence in food and the apparent dangers it poses to our health. But how much of this is true, and should we be worried about it?
What is acrylamide?
Acrylamide is a natural by-product formed during
In this reaction, sugars and amino acids – often asparagine – react to form acrylamide, which is odorless and water soluble. When it’s in the body, acrylamide is
Which foods contain acrylamide?
Acrylamide can be found in all sorts of cooked food products, but one of the biggest sources is thought to be fried potato products (especially those made with
Does it pose a health risk?
There’s an abundance of headlines suggesting (or sometimes declaring) that acrylamide in our food is bad for us and causes cancer. Many popped up after
Sales of chips in Sweden
Despite the concerns raised by that announcement over 20 years ago, there’s simply not enough quality evidence – at least in humans – to directly support acrylamide causing cancer. That could be for a multitude of reasons, the first being that there’s been
Then there’s the matter of ethical boundaries. “To really be able to be to say that this causes cancer you need to do clinical trials,” Rashmi Sinha, a senior investigator at the National Cancer Institute, told
That being said, there’s enough animal evidence that some authoritative bodies believe it warrants further investigation and to approach consumption with caution.
For example, in studies of
However, there have also been some toxicology studies that show humans and rodents both absorb acrylamide at different rate and metabolize it differently, so animal findings don’t necessarily translate to us. So what do the officials say?
In 2015, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) conducted a
Animal studies demonstrate that acrylamide and glycidamide are genotoxic (DNA or chromosome-damaging) and carcinogenic (potentially cancer-causing).However, there’s limited evidence from human studies to suggest dietary intake of acrylamide increases our risk of cancer.The level of dietary exposure to acrylamide could be a concern – at least in terms of causing abnormal cell growth – for public health if further quality evidence in humans supports it.Current levels of dietary exposure to acrylamide aren’t of concern when it comes to other health issues.
After a call to revisit those conclusions with new data, the EFSA reached the same scientific opinion in
As for other parts of the world, whilst the US
Reducing acrylamide in food (if you want to)
Despite the evidence for human risk not being clear-cut, organizations still have advice on how to reduce the levels of acrylamide in food should people wish to do so.
This can include
When it comes to coffee, the
Then there’s how people cook at home.
Regardless of the cooking method, the UK’s Food Standards Agency
All “explainer” articles are confirmed by
The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.