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GOVERNMENT
The Food & Drug Administration has announced a draft action plan for dealing with acrylamide in food. Acrylamide, a probable human carcinogen and neurotoxic agent, was recently discovered to form as a by-product of high-temperature cooking processes (greater than 121 °C), particularly in starchy foods. The major goals of FDA's plan are to assess human dietary exposures to acrylamide, gather information about its toxicology, and develop techniques for reducing its formation in food. Also, FDA will foster partnerships to assess human risks. FDA has already analyzed about 150 foods using a technique it developed and has found, as have other studies, the highest levels in potato chips and french fries. "The National Food Processors Association believes the priority areas identified by FDA for immediate attention are appropriate," Henry Chin, vice president of NFPA's Center for Technical Assistance, says. However, "we do not believe we are faced with a public health emergency," he adds. In contrast, Michael F. Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, calls the discovery of acrylamide in some foods "extremely worrisome," because the amounts found in potato chips and french fries "would be expected to significantly increase the risk of cancer in humans." |
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