FDA sounds warning for chemical in fried foods

Crispy french fries and crunchy potato chips have never been considered health foods. But consumers just got a reminder that there’s one more thing to worry about when they indulge in such foods: a chemical called acrylamide that might cause cancer.

For more than a decade, scientists have known that acrylamide forms when potatoes, cereal grains and some other plant foods are browned through frying, baking or roasting. That means it shows up in fries, chips, breakfast cereals, toasted bread, cookies, crackers and even coffee.

Studies show the chemical can cause cancer in rodents at high doses. In humans, the cancer risk remains unclear, but health agencies around the world are concerned and calling for more study.

Last week, the Food and Drug Administration took the latest step to address the potential risk when it released draft guidelines for the food industry.

For example, the FDA is urging potato growers to favor low-sugar varieties that produce less acrylamide and urging processors to decrease frying temperatures, tweak ingredients and avoid certain storage practices.

Though the guidelines will not be binding, many companies already are making such changes and developing new ways to reduce the chemical, says Beth Johnson, a registered dietitian who is a consultant to the Snack Food Association.

“This has been a large focus of the industry for many years,” she says.

But no one is talking about eliminating acrylamide, which is in foods that make up 40 percent of calories in a typical American diet, according to the Grocery Manufacturers Association.