Commission creates database of research into acrylamide in food
The European Commission has launched a new online research database on the health risks of acrylamide in food. Acrylamide, a chemical that has the potential to cause cancer, is produced when certain carbohydrates are baked or fried at high temperatures. While animal studies have suggested an association between acrylamide and certain types of cancers, it is less clear whether the association is also true in humans. A Swedish study published in 2002 showed the levels of acrylamide in food to be significantly higher than previously thought. 'We must look closely at the issue of acrylamide in food to evaluate the potential threat to public health and determine which actions might need to be taken. It is important that all researchers have a global picture of what efforts are being undertaken. This database will help provide this picture,' said Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection David Byrne. The Commission has developed the database in close collaboration with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) with the aim of outlining the research being carried out on acrylamide in food and ensuring that complementary progress is made. The information contained in the database will be updated regularly under ten sub-headings: - levels of acrylamide in food; - dietary exposure to acrylamide in food; - ways to reduce levels of acrylamide in food; - mechanisms of formation; - bioavailability of acrylamide in food; - toxicology/carcinogenicity; - biomarkers; - epidemiology; - methods of analysis; - international activities.