FSA finds British may consume too much acrylamide
The U.K.’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) has released results from its Total Diet Study (TDS) that shows that people in the United Kingdom may currently consume higher levels of the chemical than is desirable.
The U.K.’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) has released results from its Total Diet Study (TDS) that shows that people in the United Kingdom may currently consume higher levels of the chemical than is desirable. The FSA has been undertaking surveillance on acrylamide since 2007, and the most recent results cover two full years (2014–2015) of data. Like the 2005 acrylamide TDS study, the aim of the 2014 acrylamide TDS was to estimate dietary exposure for various age groups of the U.K. population and identify those foods that contribute most to acrylamide dietary exposure for these age groups.
A TDS differs from other food surveys in that foods are firstly prepared and cooked for consumption. For the current 2014 acrylamide TDS, the cooked food preparations were pooled into 138 food categories and then further pooled into 28 food groups. Analytical samples were prepared for each of the 28 food groups. Food items were prepared and cooked according to specified cooking instructions agreed by the analytical contractor and the FSA. Prepared food group samples were sent to Premier Analytical Services for acrylamide analysis. Acrylamide was determined as the brominated derivative 2-bromopropenamide.
The highest concentrations of acrylamide were measured in the snacks (360 µg/kg), potatoes (181 µg/kg), and miscellaneous cereals (65 µg/kg) food groups. The lowest concentrations at or below the limit of detection (LoD) were reported in the tap water and bottled water groups.
The 2014 TDS was the first to prepare food category samples for analysis. A total of 42 food category samples were analyzed for acrylamide in a study funded by the FSA. These categories were selected for further analysis to quantify their contribution to acrylamide dietary exposure. The highest concentrations of acrylamide, >100 µg/kg, were found in the sweet and savory biscuits, fresh potatoes (cooked), potato products (cooked), and other snacks (not potato based) categories. The lowest concentrations of acrylamide, ≤10 µg/kg, were measured in takeaway fish-based meals; coffee, cocoa, and branded food drinks (as consumed); canned or jarred tomatoes; white unsliced bread; tree nuts; canned or jarred beans; meat or yeast extracts; other cereal products; spreads and dressings; mushrooms; turnips and swedes; other canned or frozen fruit; and canned peaches, pears, and pineapples.
The TDS found levels of acrylamide in most food groups, making it impossible to avoid acrylamide consumption completely. The study concludes that “The dietary acrylamide exposure levels for all age classes are of possible concern for an increased lifetime risk of cancer.” However, it goes on to state that “The results of the survey do not increase concern with respect to acrylamide in the U.K. diet but do reinforce FSA advice to consumers and our efforts to support the food industry in reducing acrylamide levels.”