Acrylamide Guide Update

FDA has updated its online “Acrylamide Questions and Answers” guide. The page includes information related to the chemical compound and how it can be generated via various cooking techniques. It also explains any steps FDA is taking to address the issue of acrylamide formation in foods.

Although acrylamide, at very high doses, has been shown to cause cancer in laboratory animals, similar results have not consistently translated to human studies. Nevertheless, it remains a hot-button issue in food, and researchers continue to seek ways of reducing the levels of acrylamide in foods that undergo high-temperature cooking requirements.

As noted in the document: “FDA has not yet determined the exact public health impact, if any, of acrylamide from the much lower levels found in foods. FDA is conducting research studies to determine whether acrylamide in food is a potential risk to human health.”

For more information on this issue, see a news item outlining findings from the 2007 final report from The Heatox Project, which includes research briefs on methods of reducing acrylamide levels in foods.