Acrylamide is a chemical that can naturally develop in certain foods when cooked or fried at high temperatures. According to the Food and Drug Administration, altering packaging or sanitizing food preparation areas does not influence the formation of this chemical. Acrylamide is present in potatoes and various consumer packaged goods (CPG) such as crackers, bread, cookies, breakfast cereals, canned black olives, and prune juice, as reported by CNN, and it is not listed on food labels. Additionally, the National Cancer Institute indicates that acrylamide is also found in tobacco smoke, which contributes to greater exposure than food sources.
News about chemicals in food can alarm consumers, who instinctively wish to believe that the foods and beverages they consume are safe. However, the mere presence of a chemical does not necessarily indicate that food is unsafe. For instance, a study by the Clean Label Project discovered that a cup of coffee contained an average of 1.77 micrograms of acrylamide per serving, while french fries from a leading U.S. fast-food chain had 75.65 micrograms. While coffee may receive special attention due to its widespread consumption, many people also enjoy french fries and potato chips.
Potato products have long been under scrutiny for their acrylamide content. In 2008, major food companies such as PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay, Heinz, Kettle Foods, and Lance agreed to limit acrylamide levels in their potato chips and french fries as part of a settlement with the California attorney general. Acrylamide is not the only chemical facing examination in California; glyphosate, commonly known as the weed killer Roundup, has been detected in trace amounts in various products, often as an agricultural byproduct. Although there is no consensus on whether glyphosate is carcinogenic, California mandates that it be labeled as a potential cancer threat.
Consumer backlash is often more intense for products found to contain glyphosate residues. In response, some manufacturers have pledged to reduce these levels immediately. Although class-action lawsuits regarding glyphosate have been initiated, they do not always succeed. For example, a lawsuit against General Mills regarding the Nature Valley granola brand’s claim of being “Made with 100% Natural Oats” was dismissed last year, with the judge stating that the argument was “simply not plausible.”
As efforts to minimize glyphosate residues tend to garner more attention than acrylamide, manufacturers looking to reduce acrylamide levels could learn from these initiatives. It may be time to consider a collective industry effort to reduce or eliminate acrylamide in food, which would involve reworking the processing of certain products, but could ultimately reassure concerned consumers. The issue of acrylamide in food is receiving increased focus due to ongoing coffee litigation and a lawsuit filed last year in California by the Center for Environmental Health regarding acrylamide levels in animal crackers. Manufacturers may face challenges if they do not proactively address current consumer preferences for “free-from” products, especially as consumers increasingly seek alternatives like calcitrate 200 mg or 950 mg supplements in their diets.