About 17% of potato crisp varieties sampled from major retail food outlets in the UK have high levels of acrylamide, a known carcinogen, reveals independent testing.
The study, conducted by the Changing Markets Foundation, reviewed 92 potato snacks from major UK snack brands and own-brand super market crisps.
The samples were prepared and analyzed for acrylamide by Fera Science Ltd in York (UKAS ISO17025 accredited laboratory).
The analytical method was gas chromatography−mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), which has a reporting limit of 30 μg/kg.
The samples were taken in different retailers across London in January 2017.
Findings
A sample of sweet potato crisps from Tyrrells had the highest level of acrylamide at 2483.6 µg/kg.
These levels are 2.5-times above the European benchmark and over 83-times higher than products with the lowest concentration.
The presence of acrylamide in food is considered a public health concern by the European Food Safety Authority as it increases the risk of developing cancer, and young children are the most vulnerable.
Moreover, a recent study from the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) concluded that people in the UK currently consume higher levels of the chemical, acrylamide, than is desirable and identified fried potatoes as a major contributor to acrylamide exposure.
Exceeding benchmark
In total, 16 samples exceeded the recommended EU benchmark (1000 µg/kg), with supermarket branded products (12 samples) performing significantly worse than major snack brands (four samples).
The worst performing supermarket brands were Morrisons and ALDI, with three products above the benchmark each.
Meanwhile, 31 samples were above the lower EU benchmark (750 µg/kg) that will likely become part of new regulation.
The findings come just a few months after the FSA published the results from its own monitoring showing 13 products exceeding the recommended acrylamide benchmarks.
Products sampled from Seabrook, ALDI and ASDA brands have been found to exceed such benchmarks in both studies.
“The results published today reveal that several companies found to exceed dangerous acrylamide levels by the FSA haven’t done anything to address this problem,” said Nusa Urbancic from Changing Markets.
“Seabrook, ALDI and ASDA continue to place on the market crisps with high levels of this carcinogen.”
“This clearly points to the failure of self-regulation by industry and weak enforcement by the FSA.”
Legislation
The presence of acrylamide, which is formed when starchy foods are heated up, can be significantly minimized by food business operators through a variety of measures, as seen with samples with low levels of acrylamide.
Nevertheless, many food operators are still unaware of acrylamide or unwilling to take measures to reduce the levels due to a lack of mandatory legal limits.
In response to this, a legislative proposal on acrylamide in food is currently being discussed by the European Commission and Member States and a vote is expected in June 2017.
This proposal has been heavily criticized by food safety and consumer protection groups because it fails to introduce legally binding maximum limits for acrylamide, which is the approach taken on other contaminants in EU law, according to Changing Markets.
The weak legislative proposal will prolong the status quo, where companies can continue to sell their products even when these are found to have high levels of acrylamide.
However, the European Commission has recently announced that it intends to introduce tougher measures on certain products in the future.
“Industrially prepared food is the biggest source of consumer exposure to this carcinogen and only immediate introduction of legally binding limits will guarantee that industry does its job and that consumers don’t have to worry about acrylamide in their food,” said Urbancic.
