A value of 10,000 or more indicates a low risk to public health, while a low number indicates a much higher potential risk. Acrylamide has been estimated to range from 425 for an adult to 50 for toddlers. This range is significantly lower than the 10,000 benchmark and should therefore be a cause for concern.
For acrylamide, the safe harbor level is the same as the so-called no significant risk level (NSRL): 0.2 micrograms per day.
The MOEs for the cancer- related effects of acrylamide range from 425 for average adult consumers down to 50 for high consuming toddlers (Table 30, page 210). These ranges indicate a concern for public health. For non-genotoxic substances, an MOE of 100 or higher normally indicates no concern for public health.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has set an exposure limit of 0.3 milligrams per cubic meter (0.3 mg/m3) for acrylamide in workplace air for an 8-hour workday, 40-hour workweek.
Drinking more water, a lot more water for some of us, will probably be the most important thing you can do to get rid of Acrylamide. However, make sure you are drinking pure water; otherwise you may inadvertently increase your exposure. Taking herbs to improve kidney and liver detoxification may be helpful.
In most cases, the symptoms and signs of acrylamide exposure have been reversible, with full resolution after 2–12 months of exposure withdrawal, although some symptoms can persist for several years [5].
Once in your body, acrylamide enters your body fluids. Acrylamide and its breakdown products leave your body mostly through urine; small amounts may leave through feces, exhaled air, and breast milk.
However, the amount of acrylamide in your average brewed coffee is 0.45 micrograms, according to a widely cited 2013 Swedish study. Compare this to the 39-82 micrograms of acrylamide that you'll find in your average serving of fast-food french fries, and that cup of coffee is looking less carcinogenic by the minute.
“Acrylamide forms when foods like potatoes and cereals become crispy and brown. It even forms in roasted coffee beans.” That means acrylamide is in the crunch of potato chips, the crispy edges of French fries, and in toasted snacks and rich roasted coffees. But Stelwagen says it's not as much of a worry as it sounds.
Breakfast cereals – cornflakes and all-bran flakes are the worst offenders, while porridge oats contain no acrylamide at all.
All types of coffee containing roasted beans contain some acrylamide. Coffee substitutes, such as cereal and chicory root coffees, also contain acrylamide if they have undergone a roasting process. The only type of coffee that does not contain acrylamide is that which contains unroasted, or green, coffee beans.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration monitors acrylamide levels in certain foods, and amounts in peanuts and peanut products are low or undetectable. If present, acrylamide naturally forms when peanuts are roasted; it is not added to peanut butter by manufacturers.
Acrylamide is found mainly in foods made from plants, such as potato products, grain products, or coffee. Acrylamide does not form, or forms at lower levels, in dairy, meat, and fish products. Generally, acrylamide is more likely to accumulate when cooking is done for longer periods or at higher temperatures.
Coffee manufacturers can also help to reduce the levels of acrylamide in coffee by storing the coffee beans for longer periods of time before roasting, or by roasting the coffee beans at a lower temperature.
Acrylamide content levels of between ≤ 30 and 700 µg kg−1 were determined in cocoa masses from 11 different places of origin. The mean content levels of the 23 examined chocolate samples came to 139 µg kg−1 in the dark chocolates (N = 18) and 67 µg kg−1 in the milk chocolates (N = 5), respectively [16].
Bread often contains what may be considered to be low amounts of acrylamide. However, due to its high consumption rate, its contribution to dietary exposure is still considerable.
Acrylamide forming substances (e.g., asparagine and reducing sugars) should be washed away from the surface of the potatoes and vegetables after they are cut by soaking them in water. Soaking them in water will reduce formation of acrylamide during frying.
Acrylamide was identified as a “possibly carcinogenic to humans” compound by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in 1994 and classified in group 2A [44,45].
Studies in rodent models have found that acrylamide exposure increases the risk for several types of cancer (10–13). In the body, acrylamide is converted to a compound called glycidamide , which causes mutations in and damage to DNA.
Acrylamide levels were measured as 890−1200 μg/kg in sunflower oil, 892−1163 μg/kg in olive oil, 981−1299 μg/kg in corn oil, and 779−1120 μg/kg in hazelnut oil.
The primary industrial use of acrylamide is to create polyacrylamide, which is a common soil stabilizer for constructing tunnels, wells, sewers and reservoirs. Acrylamide is also commonly used to produce contact lenses, permanent-press fabrics, toiletries, and many other household items.
Air-frying equipment is not known to cause cancer, but the process of air frying does result in the formation of certain compounds, like acrylamide, that are linked to cancer development. Acrylamide is classified as a probable human carcinogen.
Sweet potato starch contains the natural precursor of acrylamide (AA) which is a neurotoxic compound. Therefore, reducing the amount of AA in fried and baked sweet potato chips is critically important. Raw sweet potato not only contains starch but also other nutrients.