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Feeling the heat

You may have seen reports on the network news last week about the new findings on a carcinogen that’s present in many common foods. In a surprising announcement, Sweden’s National Food Administration (NFA) warned that certain prepared foods – many of which you may eat on a regular basis – may contain high levels of a carcinogen called acrylamide. Since I first heard the news, I’ve been watching this story closely and gathering information from various sources. And since the word from the mainstream has been a bit confusing and even contradictory (surprise, surprise), I wanted to use today’s e-Alert to share the information we’ve uncovered.
High carb + high heat = more than we bargained for

Acrylamide is a compound most often associated with plastic manufacturing. From previous research, we know that it can cause tumors in laboratory animals. But the Swedish research brought this shocking news: high levels of acrylamide may be created by doing something as simple as baking a loaf of bread.

Researchers at Stockholm University first made the discovery while studying how staple foods are affected by cooking. Sweden’s NFA then refined the testing by subjecting more than 100 different types of carbohydrate-rich foods to high-heat cooking methods such as baking, frying and deep-frying. They concluded that these types of food preparations on starch-rich foods cause a spontaneous creation of acrylamide. (According to this research, cooking foods by boiling did not pose any problems.) The researchers still aren’t sure how and why this happens, and a full study has not yet been published. But as you can imagine, the findings caused quite an uproar in the international scientific community.
A big serving of international alphabet soup

The preliminary results show that the highest levels of acrylamide occur in potato products, with bread containing somewhat lower levels, and breakfast cereals containing the least. And authorities like the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have been quick to assure the public that scientists still don’t know much about acrylamide’s effects on humans. However, we know that prolonged exposure to acrylamide has caused tumors, DNA damage, and neurological and reproductive damage in rats, and both the International Agency for Research on Cancer and the U.S. government both classify acrylamide as “probably carcinogenic to humans.”

NFA representatives have offered to further study their findings in cooperation with other international organizations. The FAO has already requested access to the data, and the World Health Organization (WHO) announced last week that it will organize an expert consultation as soon as possible to determine the full extent of the public health risk from acrylamide in food. That’s nice to know – but in the meantime, what should you do?
Best not to “Ruffle” anyone’s feathers

At this point the NFA scientists do not recommend that anyone change their diet, stressing that more work is needed to verify their discovery. But if you’re concerned about these preliminary reports, it couldn’t hurt to make some changes. While we aren’t suggesting you panic and throw out a five-pound bag of potatoes, most people don’t consider fried foods healthy anyway, for a variety of reasons. So, in light of this research, you may want to reconsider your methods of preparation and your overall intake of other carbohydrate-rich foods as well. In general, the NFA is cautioning people to avoid frying foods at high temperatures or for long periods of time.

The counter-spin against these findings has already begun; the Grocery Manufacturers of America rushed to the aid of potato chips vendors nationwide with an urgent statement calling the report inconclusive, saying, “there’s not enough data to warrant any consumers overreacting, or changing their dietary habits.” Heaven forbid we overreacting consumers might cut back slightly on our daily intake of nacho cheese Doritos or BBQ chips.

I’m sure there will be more advice of this sort in the coming weeks and months, and “authorities” will continue to tell us that we shouldn’t worry. Here at HSI, we’ll continue to bring you the facts as we uncover them – and let you make up your own mind.

To Your Good Health,

Jenny Thompson
Health Sciences Institute

Sources:
Swedish National Food Administration (NFA) http://192.71.90.8/engakrylpressmeddelande.htm
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
http://www.fao.org/english/newsroom/news/2002/4344-en.html
World Health Organization
http://www.who.int/inf/en/pr-2002-32.html

Copyright 1997-2002 by Institute of Health Sciences, L.L.C.

 

 

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