Food Standards Agency
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Listen to this siteTuesday 11 January 2005
As part of an international research programme, the Agency has conducted a survey looking at people's exposure to acrylamide - a potentially harmful chemical found in some foods.
The survey's findings are consistent with research in the UK and elsewhere. The levels found would mean that the amount of acrylamide people actually eat is at least 1000 times lower than the doses reported to cause cancer in rats in laboratory tests.
Since the initial 2002 discovery of unexpectedly large amounts of acrylamide in some foods, research has continued internationally to improve understanding of the chemical and to look at ways of reducing acrylamide levels.
More than 200 research projects have been initiated around the world and this survey has been conducted as part of that international effort. The results will be considered as part of the February 2005 Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives safety evaluation of acrylamide in food.
Acrylamide is formed naturally when starch-rich foods are fried, baked, grilled, toasted or microwaved at high temperatures for example chips, roast potatoes, crisps and bread. It has also been found in a variety of other foods. It has caused cancer in rats in laboratory tests and its presence in some foods may harm people's health. It has not been found in any raw or boiled foods.
The Agency's dietary advice remains the same. It continues to recommend that people should eat a balanced healthy diet, including plenty of fruit and vegetables, bread, other cereals and potatoes and should limit the amount of sugary and fatty foods they eat, including fried food such as chips and crisps.
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