Cancer Risk Found in French Fries, Bread

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Cancer Risk Found in French Fries, Bread

Reuters April 24, 2002 10:24 AM ET

http://www.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=search & StoryID=873399

By Starck

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Basic foods eaten by millions around the world such

as bread, biscuits, potato chips and french fries contain alarmingly high

quantities of acrylamide, a substance believed to cause cancer, Swedish

scientists said on Wednesday.

The research carried out at Stockholm University in cooperation with

experts at Sweden's National Food Administration, a government food safety

agency, showed that heating of carbohydrate-rich foods, such as potatoes,

rice or cereals formed acrylamide, a much studied substance classified as a

probable human carcinogen.

The research was deemed so important that the scientists decided on the

unusual step of going 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 chips may contain up to 500 times

more of the substance than the top level allowed in drinking water by the

World Health Organization.

French fries sold at Swedish franchises of U.S. fast-food chains Burger

King Corp and Mc's contained about 100 times the one microgram per

liter maximum permitted by the WHO for drinking water, the study showed.

One milligram, or 0.001 grams, contains 1,000 micrograms.

KNOWN HAZARD

The Environmental Protection Agency classifies acrylamide, a colorless,

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 tumors.

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 analyzed foodstuffs are consumed in large

quantities, e.g. potato crisps, french fries, fried potatoes, biscuits and

bread. "

Among products analyzed in the study were potato chips made by Finnish

company CHIPS ABP, whose shares fell 14.5 percent to six-month lows, as

well as breakfast cereals made by U.S. Kellogg, Quaker Oats Co, part of

PepsiCo Inc, and Swiss Nestle, and Old El Paso brand tortilla chips.

" For us, these are completely new findings which have never before been

known to the world's foodstuffs industry, " CHIPS ABP said in a statement to

the Helsinki stock exchange.

Stefan sson, marketing manager Burger King's subsidiary in Sweden, told

Reuters by telephone: " We have received the information and we are

evaluating what it will mean. "

Spokesmen for the other companies mentioned in the research were not

immediately available for comment.

NO PRODUCTS WITHDRAWN

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.

Busk said, however, that the product analysis based on more than 100 random

samples was not extensive enough for the administration to recommend the

withdrawal of any products from supermarket shelves.

" 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 analyzes 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.

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.