tel: +46 18 17 55 00, fax: +46 18 10 58 48
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National
Food Administration, Box 622, SE-751 26 Uppsala, tel: +46 18 17 55 00, fax: +46 18 10 58 48 |
When foodstuffs were analysed at the Swedish National Food Administration (NFA) in Uppsala and at AnalyCen AB in Lidköping it was found that some foodstuffs, which had been heated, could contain relatively high levels of the substance acrylamide. In total, more than 100 food samples have been analysed at the NFA. The food survey comprised bread, pasta, rice, fish, sausages, meat (beef and pork), biscuits, cookies, breakfast cereals and beer, etc as well as some ready-made dishes such as pizza and products based on potatoes, maize and flour.
The levels of acrylamide vary considerably between single foodstuffs within food groups, but potato crisps and French fries generally contained high levels compared to many other food groups. The average content in potato crisps is approximately 1000 mikrogram/kg and in French fries approximately 500 mikrogram/kg. Other food groups which may contain low as well as high levels of acrylamide are crisp bread, breakfast cereals, fried potato products, biscuits, cookies and snacks, e.g. popcorn.
Foodstuffs which are not fried, deep fried or oven-baked during production or preparation are not considered to contain any appreciable levels of acrylamide. No levels could be detected in any of the raw foodstuffs or foods cooked by boiling investigated so far (potato, rice, pasta, flour and bacon).
According to the NFA food survey "Riksmaten 1997-98", which is based on approximately 1200 individuals between the age of 17 to 70 who recorded their food consumption during one week, an average intake of acrylamide of approximately 25 mikrogram per day (maximum intake is approximately six times higher) is obtained, based on the food groups shown below. The remaining food groups are estimated to account for approximately 10-15 mikrogram of acrylamide; in total an average intake of 35-40 mikrogram. The percentage contribution based on an intake of 40 mikrogram akrylamid per day results in:
It should be emphasized that, considering our present knowledge, the contribution from different food groups is extremely uncertain since only foodstuffs which were expected to contain acrylamide have been examined so far. There is also a considerable variation in the measured levels of acrylamide.
Young adults (17 to 34 years of age) have, according to "Riksmaten", a higher consumption of snacks (nuts, chips and popcorn) than other adults. For children under 17 years of age newer data are lacking. In the food survey "Ungdom mot år 2000" (Samuelson et al 1996), which was carried out 1993-94 among 15-year olds in Uppsala and Trollhättan, the consumption of snacks was comparable to that of young adults in Riksmaten. Children have a lower average body weight than the 70 kg generelly assumed when carrying out risk assessments. This implies that the food intake per kg body weight and the exposure to various substances could be even larger for those groups of individuals compared to adults. According to Riksmaten, 10 per cent of the adult population consumes 90 per cent of the snacks consumed in Sweden.
An alternative way of estimating the intake of acrylamide is by adduct measurement, that is to measure a reaction product of acrylamide with the protein of the blood, the hemoglobin (Törnqvist et al 1997). This reaction product seems to occur in all investigated humans at approximately the same levels and is furthermore a measurement of the continously administered dose of acrylamide. The reason is unknown in this case, but workers who were exposed to acrylamide at the tunnel accident at Hallandsåsen in Sweden had higher levels of this reaction product in their blood.
In the general population, although not in smokers (who have a level of this adduct 2-3 times the background level), the background level has been estimated to account for a daily intake corresponding to approximately 100 mikrogram per day.
Other sources than foodstuffs (estimated average intake of 35-40 mikrogram/day), e.g. cosmetics, drinking water, and a possible endogenous formation in the body of acrylamide, could, to a lower extent contribute to the background level. Estimated administered amount of acrylamide for the formation of the background level together with levels of acrylamide in foodstuffs are, however, presently extremely uncertain.