What Are Acrylamides and Why Should We Avoid Them?

Acrylamides are harmful, but what’s worse is that they often look appetizing. Those foods that acquire a golden, crispy appearance may be loaded with acrylamides, as their formation is the result of the Maillard reaction—a chemical process responsible for giving foods a golden color and distinctive flavor when fried, roasted, or toasted. This process occurs due to the presence of sugars and amino acids.

Marina Domene, a nutritionist at SHA, explains that acrylamide is a chemical compound that naturally forms in certain foods when they are exposed to high temperatures (over 120°C).

“The amount of acrylamide varies significantly in the same food depending on the temperature and cooking time. For this reason, the WHO believes it is not feasible to recommend a safe amount of acrylamide that can be consumed without posing a health risk,” warns the nutrition expert at SHA.

The WHO recommends various measures for all types of starchy foods, including avoiding frying or baking them at high temperatures. It’s important to note that acrylamide formation begins at 120°C, which is why one key recommendation is to prevent foods from becoming overly golden and to opt for cooking methods like boiling or steaming instead of frying or baking.

Why is there so much caution about golden-browned foods and high-temperature roasting? Domene explains that, in our bodies, acrylamide is converted into a chemical compound called glycidamide, which can cause mutations and DNA damage.

“Due to the difficulty in determining the amount of acrylamide consumed by a person based on their reported diet, studies have been inconsistent and unable to definitively classify acrylamide as a human carcinogen. However, in animal studies, the consumption of acrylamide has been directly linked to the development of cancer, genetic mutations, and nervous system alterations,” notes Domene.

After conducting a rigorous risk assessment of acrylamide consumption, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published its conclusions in 2015, confirming, based on animal studies, that acrylamide present in food significantly increases the risk of developing cancer across all age groups. Due to their lower body weight, children are the most vulnerable to acrylamide exposure.

However, EFSA, based on current dietary exposure levels, does not consider acrylamide highly dangerous for the nervous system, prenatal or postnatal development, or male reproduction

The main foods that contain acrylamide are fried potatoes, coffee, bread, and cookies. Storage and processing conditions, particularly temperature, also influence acrylamide formation in foods. Different cooking methods have a direct impact on acrylamide levels.

The WHO has classified acrylamide as a probable human carcinogen and calls for efforts to reduce its presence in food. Domene recommends alternatives such as baking (at less than 120°C), blanching, and steaming as safer cooking methods.