Coffee, Starchy Snack foods may contain acrylamide

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Bread, buns and coffee can be dangerous as they might contain the chemical compound acrylamide, which the Technical University of Denmark's (DTU) National Food Institute now links to cancer. EU food safety authorities have been asked to investigate. Acrylamide is a chemical compound that typically forms in starchy food products such as potato crisps, chips, bread, biscuits and coffee, during high-temperature processing (above 120°), including frying, baking and roasting. "We can with a great probability say that there is a link between food products which contain alcrylamide and cancer," Jørgen Schlundt, director of DTU's National Food Institute, told Danish TV.

Bread, buns and coffee can be dangerous as they might contain the chemical compound acrylamide, which the Technical University of Denmark's (DTU) National Food Institute now links to cancer. EU food safety authorities have been asked to investigate.
Acrylamide is a chemical compound that typically forms in starchy food products such as potato crisps, chips, bread, biscuits and coffee, during high-temperature processing (above 120°), including frying, baking and roasting.

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"We can with a great probability say that there is a link between food products which contain alcrylamide and cancer," Jørgen Schlundt, director of DTU's National Food Institute, told Danish TV.

Acrylamide has previously been linked to cancer. In 2002, Swedish researchers found the compound by coincidence and had a strong suspicion that acrylamide was a carcinogenic agent.

Since then, different studies have given an unclear picture, but now the DTU's National Food Institute has given a public warning for the first time.

"We need to have regulation in this area. By that I mean levels so that the industry starts working on how to decrease the amount of acrylamide in their food products, Schlundt said.

He has contacted the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to ask the EU to investigate the possible health risks.

Coffee and Croissant photo via Shutterstock.

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