Carcinogen found in French fries, bread, biscuits

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Carcinogen found in French fries, bread, biscuits

JoAnn Guest

May 25, 2007 16:13 PDT

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE:

STOCKHOLM, Apr 24 (Reuters) - Basic foods eaten by millions around

the

world such as bread, biscuits, crisps and French fries contain high

quantities of acrylamide, a substance believed to increase cancer

risk,

Swedish scientists said on Wednesday. The research carried out at

Stockholm University in cooperation with Sweden's National Food

Administration, a government food safety agency, showed that baking

or

frying carbohydrate-rich foods such as potatoes or cereals formed

acrylamide, a much studied substance classified as a probable human

carcinogen.

 

The research was deemed important enough for the scientists to go

public with their findings before the research had been officially

published in an academic journal. " I have been in this field for 30

years and I have never seen anything like this before, " said Leif

Busk,

head of the food administration's research department.

 

Findings unveiled at a news conference called by the food

administration showed that an ordinary bag of potato crisps may

contain

up to 500 times more of the substance than the top level allowed in

drinking water by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

 

WHO recommends one microgram (one-millionth of a gram) per litre as

a

maximum permitted for drinking water. Liliane Abramsson-Zetterberg,

a

toxicologist at the Swedish food administration, said: " The cancer

risk

from acrylamide is much higher than (the levels) we accept for known

carcinogens. " But smoking, which is known to cause cancer, remained

a

bigger risk, she said.

 

The US Environmental Protection Agency classifies acrylamide, a

colourless, crystalline solid, as a medium-hazard probable human

carcinogen. According to the International Agency for Research on

Cancer, acrylamide induces gene mutations and has been found in

animal

tests to cause benign and malignant stomach tumours.

 

It is also known to cause damage to the central and peripheral

nervous

system. " The discovery that acrylamide is formed during the

preparation

of food, and at high levels, is new knowledge. It may now be

possible to

explain some of the cases of cancer caused by food, " Busk said.

 

" Fried, oven-baked and deep-fried potato and cereal products may

contain

high levels of acrylamide, " the administration said. " Acrylamide is

formed during the preparation of food and occurs in many

foodstuffs....

Many of the analysed foodstuffs are consumed in large quantities,

e.g.

potato crisps, French fries, fried potatoes, biscuits and bread. "

Margareta Tornqvist, an associate professor at Stockholm

University's

department of environmental chemistry, said the consumption of a

single

potato crisp could take acrylamide intake up to the WHO maximum for

drinking water.

" Frying at high temperatures or for a long time should be avoided, "

Busk said, adding: " Our advice to eat less fat-rich products such as

French fries and crisps, remains valid. "

He said the findings applied worldwide, not only to Sweden, as the

food

raw materials used in the analyses had showed no traces of

acrylamide.

Swedish authorities had informed the European Commission and EU

member

countries, Busk said.

 

" It is the first time we have come across such a result. We will

evaluate this study and look at it but it is important to say that

Sweden has not withdrawn any products from the market, " said

European

Commission spokeswoman Beate Gminder. " Therefore, we'll have to see

what

the scientific evaluation by our side and by scientists in the

member

states will bring about, " she said.

 

In an interview with Reuters Health, Dr. Michael Thun, head of

epidemiologic research for the American Cancer Society said, " Sweden

is

quite aggressive with removing or reducing exposures that the

government

considers hazardous to consumers and workers. The fact that they did

not

act suggests that they still have some questions about it.

 

 

http://www.drsears.com/healthnewsdetailopen.member?healthNewsID=1447

 

DR. SEARS' COMMENTS:

 

Another good reason for not eating starches.

 

 

JoAnn Guest

mrsjo-

www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/