U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
U. S. Food and Drug Administration
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
December 4, 2002

Exploratory Data on Acrylamide in Foods

On April 24, 2002, researchers at the Swedish National Food Administration and Stockholm University reported finding the chemical acrylamide in a variety of fried and oven-baked foods. The initial Swedish research indicates that acrylamide formation is particularly associated with traditional high temperature cooking processes for certain carbohydrate-rich foods. In response to concerns about the potential risk of food-borne acrylamide based on known toxicity of acrylamide at much higher doses than those seen in foods, the FDA began to analyze a variety of U.S. food products for acrylamide. The data presented below are initial and partial results from an ongoing exploratory survey of foods for acrylamide. FDA's action plan and full research agenda are presented at http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/pestadd.html#acrylamide. We are presenting this incomplete data set now to inform the public of FDA's progress and to help stimulate research into the formation of acrylamide in foods.

At a public meeting held on September 30, 2002, FDA discussed preliminary findings on acrylamide in a select group of food products to illustrate initial conclusions concerning variability that can be drawn from the early stages in the exploratory survey. Since the public meeting, FDA has continued to study acrylamide in a wide variety of foods, including breads, cereals, and snack foods in an effort to understand the occurrence of this chemical in the U.S. food supply. FDA will continue to investigate how acrylamide is formed in food, seek to identify ways to reduce acrylamide levels, and study the human health risk of consuming acrylamide in foods. FDA is collaborating with other federal public health agencies, international partners, academia, consumers, and the food-processing industry to coordinate efforts related to acrylamide in foods.

• These data include the data that were the basis for the graphs presented at the September 30, 2002, public meeting as well as additional data collected through November 15, 2002.

• These results indicate acrylamide levels in individual purchased food products.

• These data are exploratory and should not be taken to indicate the distribution of acrylamide levels in U.S. foods, or as an indicator of food product choices by consumers.

• In relation to the level of sampling that is needed to understand exposure and risk, the data cover a limited number of food categories, a limited number of products in those categories, and a limited number of brands.

• The data generally do not address unit to unit variation or lot to lot variation.

• Also, differences in acrylamide levels between foods or even between brands at this early point in the survey do not necessarily indicate differences in exposure or potential risk that would be experienced by consumers. When estimating exposure and potential risk it is important to consider the amount of the food consumed and the day to day variation in levels, in addition to the level of acrylamide measured at a particular time.

Notes:

(1) ND = nondetect
(2) The limit of quantitation (LOQ) is 10 ppb. Values below the LOQ but above 0 are reported as <10 ppb.
(3) Dried and/or powdered products (baking cocoa, dried potatoes, coffee, certain cereals, powdered formulas, and gravy and seasoning mixes) were tested as purchased.
(4) Baked products were baked according to the manufacturers' directions. Toasted products were not cooked in a standardized fashion. Fried products (tortillas) were fried for 1 minute at 155 °C. Some products are intended to be eaten without further cooking (e.g., bread); other products, although precooked by the manufacturer, are intended to be eaten only with further cooking (e.g., chicken pieces and frozen french fries). The graphs presented at the September 30, 2002, public meeting on acrylamide levels in food contain values for products as commonly eaten only, not both uncooked and cooked values.

These data are exploratory and do not show the distribution of acrylamide in foods. They cover a limited number of food categories, products, and brands. They generally do not address unit to unit variation or lot to lot variation.

Acrylamide in Foods