Acrylamide is a substance that is produced naturally in foods as a result of high temperature cooking such as baking, grilling or frying. Acrylamide is formed in foods when asparagine, an amino acid, is heated with sugars such as glucose via any cooking method in which temperatures are greater than 120 ºC or 248 ºF. Acrylamide is not being added to foods, but rather it is formed when starchy foods, particularly plant-based foods that are traditionally low in proteins are cooked / prepared as noted. It can be found in a wide variety of foods, including those prepared industrially, in catering or prepared in the home.

According to studies conducted by The Swedish National Food Administration (NFA), the average daily intake of acrylamide from foods is approximately 35-40 micrograms. The estimated percentage contribution broken down by food group is indicated below:

This section is designed to keep the foodservice operator appraised and current with ongoing findings and legislation on the subject of acrylamide.

U.S. Food and Drug Association (FDA) Posts Acrylamide Update

In August 2006, the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSCAN) announced that it had added additional data to its informational acrylamide website.

The acrylamide levels of more than 2500 samples are now included in CFSCAN’s “2006 Exposure Assessment for Acrylamide”.

Acrylamide resource from Joint Institute For Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (JIFSAN)

In October 2002, the food industry in conjunction with the Joint Institute for Food safety and Applied Nutrition (JIFSAN) convened a workshop to develop conclusions on how efforts of industry, government and academia can be coordinated to effectively use available resources to address the scientific issues raised by the presence of acrylamide in foods.

Acrylamide Information and News from Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST)

IFST takes every possible care in compiling, preparing and issuing the information contained in these pages, but can accept no liability whatsoever in connection with it. Nothing in it should be construed as absolving anyone from complying with legal requirements. The contents are provided for general information and guidance.