Danger of cancer Too much acrylamide in food

Danger of cancer Too much acrylamide in food / Health News

Too much harmful acrylamide substances detected in gingerbread and potato pancakes: The Food Safety Authority warns against acrylamide in food. In some products the signal value was clearly exceeded.

As previously reported, the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) has warned against high levels of acrylamide in food. The burdens have increased significantly since 2008 in some products such as potato pancakes, gingerbread or coffee substitutes. Acrylamide is suspected to cause cancer. The harmful substance is formed during the manufacturing process of the products.

After 1999, a Swedish research group had detected acrylamide in various foods such as crispbread, French fries, potato chips, but also coffee, since 2002, the substance is increasingly in the public interest. Because acrylamide is considered carcinogenic. The BVL warned consumers against the high arcrylamide content of some products, such as gingerbread, potato pancakes or cereal coffee.

Carcinogenic effects of acrylamide can not be ruled out
Although researchers of the Hannover Medical School (MHH) have found in a comprehensive study that the acrylamide levels in the body in people who eat more often acrylamide-containing foods, is not or only irrelevant increased. And according to the MHH experts, the impact of acrylamide-containing foods is much lower than suggested by the original studies. But the experts can not rule out a carcinogenic effect of acrylamide until today. However, limits on the acrylamide content of foods have not yet been established.

Signal value for gingerbread and potato pancakes exceeded
Therefore, the BVL determines a so-called signal values, which should serve as a guide to manufacturers to reduce the acrylamide content in their products. In food acrylamide is produced by the „Maillard reaction“ in case of overheating of starch. In particular, baked, roasted, roasted, grilled and fried products are affected. The BVL has recently controlled the acrylamide content in about 4,000 foods and has come to the alarming conclusion that the acrylamide concentration in many foods has risen sharply in recent years. First and foremost, products such as gingerbread, potato pancakes and cereal coffee were affected, with values ​​well above the specified signal level of 1000 micrograms of acrylamide per kilogram. For example, the unofficial limit was massively exceeded for some gingerbread products containing 1,316 micrograms of acrylamide. In potato pancers, the examiners were even able to detect maximum values ​​of up to 3,025 micrograms.

Federal Office works together with food manufacturers
Many food products, such as potato chips, crispbread, rusks, biscuits, diabetic cookies and biscuits for infants and toddlers, contained less acrylamide compared to the last 2008 signal value calculation, according to the BVL. Not least because the Federal Office has set the signal values ​​for certain product groups since 2002, such as potato chips or speculaas and the respective supervisory authority in a significant overrun trying together with the manufacturers to identify and eliminate the causes in the manufacturing process, the values ​​for many products in the comparison significantly lower compared to previous years.

Foodwatch criticizes the action of the BVL
The consumer organization Foodwatch commented on the BVL study, however, very critical, because the names of the manufacturing companies will not announce. Thus, the investigations provide no real protection for the citizens and the BVL brings the health of many citizens in danger, said Foodwatch. The conclusion of the consumer organization: „Without ado, the authorities protect the manufacturing companies instead of protecting the health of the citizens.“ Various studies have shown that acrylamide can be carcinogenic, mutagenic, toxic and toxic for reproduction. Therefore, even though there is no clear scientific evidence to date, consumers should be wary of using potentially acrylamide-containing foods. Even when frying, grilling, roasting or deep-frying starchy products in their own kitchen, the experts advise caution.

No acrylamide-containing products for children and adolescents
In general, changes to formulas and adaptations of manufacturing processes in food production are available to reduce acrylamide formation in certain foods. For example, lowering the maximum baking temperature by 10-20 ° C may counteract the formation of acrylamide. Also, with some ingredients an exchange or waiver to reduce the formation of acrylamide. For example, the Bavarian State Office for Health and Food Safety has determined the high proportion of almonds and the use of the baking agent ammonium bicarbonate as the cause of acrylamide formation in some gingerbread products. Thus, by omitting the almonds and using another leavening agent, the acrylamide content could be reduced to one-tenth of the previous value. In industrial food production, novel process techniques, such as vacuum frying, are being explored to reduce acrylamide production during production. Until this is the case, consumers should take particular care with children and adolescents that they only consume acrylamide-containing foods in moderation. (fp, 19.11.2010)

Also read:
High acrylamide levels in gingerbread and chips

Picture credits: Sebastian Vogel