UK FSA Requests Data on Acrylamide in Food to Inform Policy Decisions
Image credit: Esperanza Doronila via Unsplash
The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS) have put out a call for data on the presence of acrylamide in food to inform their understanding of the health risks posed by dietary exposure to acrylamide and to support policymaking decisions about the chemical.
Acrylamide is a compound that forms naturally during the cooking process, especially in starchy foods (e.g., potatoes and bread) cooked at high temperatures (above 120°C), making it a concern for snack foods. Some laboratory studies have shown that dietary exposure to acrylamide can cause cancer in animals, and further literature suggests the chemical may potentially be carcinogenic to humans as well.
At present, there is no legal maximum limit for acrylamide in foods in the UK—only recommended benchmark levels—to which manufacturers must comply.
Consumer protection organizations in Europe have been advocating for legal limits for acrylamide in foods due to concerns about neurotoxicity, genotoxicity, reproductive toxicity, and carcinogenicity—and claim that many snack foods exceed recommended benchmarks for acrylamide.
FSA is soliciting industry trade organizations, food business organizations, and researchers and academia to submit data that is representative of acrylamide levels found in a range of products, including non-detects and high values. The agency would also like to gather information on ways to reduce the formation of acrylamide in processing and challenges they may present via an online survey.
The call for data is open until November 30, 2025.
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