Acrylamide in Foods Generated through Heating (Contaminants)

Area of Science:

• Food Safety
• Toxicology
• Risk Assessment

Background:

• Acrylamide (AA) is a compound formed in foods during heating.
• Rodent studies indicate neurotoxicity, male reproductive toxicity, and carcinogenicity of AA.
• Genotoxicity was observed for AA and glycidamide (GA) in vitro and in vivo.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a risk assessment of acrylamide (AA) in heated foods.
• To evaluate the carcinogenic potential of AA.
• To assess the risk to the Japanese population based on dietary intake.

Main Methods:

• Review of rodent toxicity and carcinogenicity studies.
• Evaluation of in vitro and in vivo genotoxicity data.
• Analysis of dietary AA intake among the Japanese population.

Main Results:

• Acrylamide (AA) was recognized as a genotoxic carcinogen.
• Non-neoplastic risk from dietary AA intake in Japan is considered very low.
• Neoplastic risk from AA could not be excluded due to insufficient margins of exposure (MOEs).

Conclusions:

• Continued efforts are needed to reduce dietary AA intake to as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA).
• Epidemiological studies show no consistent link between AA exposure and cancer in humans.
• Public health requires minimizing exposure to genotoxic carcinogens like AA.