Acrylamide in Foods Generated through Heating (Contaminants)

The Food Safety Commission of Japan (FSCJ) conducted a risk assessment on acrylamide (AA) (CAS No. 79-06-1) in foods generated through heating, as a self-tasking risk assessment. In rodent toxicity studies, major adverse effects were observed on neurotoxicity and male reproductive toxicity. Statistically significant increases in incidences were observed in the carcinogenicity studies in Harderian gland, mammary gland, lung and forestomach in mice, and in mammary gland, thyroid and testis in rats. Positive results were also obtained from in vitro and in vivo genotoxicity studies of AA and glycidamide (GA). Therefore, FSCJ recognized AA as a genotoxic carcinogen. Judging from the dietary AA intake among Japanese people, the non-neoplastic risk is extremely low because of sufficient margins of exposure (MOEs). The neoplastic risk, however, could not be excluded due to the insufficient MOEs, although no clear evidence on human health effect have been provided from the epidemiological studies. It is important to note that no consistent relationships between AA exposure and cancer incidences have been observed even in the studies focusing on the highly exposed populations in occupational settings. FSCJ thus concluded that continual efforts are necessary to reduce dietary AA intakes in accordance with the principle of ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable) from the viewpoint of public health.