Acrylamide: Is Coffee Deadly?

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[Intro] [HOOK] The next time you order your standard morning triple, venti, soy, no

foam latte, you might want to think twice. Millions of people around the world depend on coffee

to help get them through their day, but can it be deadly? In recent years it has become

known that coffee, as well as many other common food items, contain a chemical known as

acrylamide. Acrylamide is a naturally born by-product that forms in a wide variety of foods once

they are cooked or heated. Acrylamide is not added to food products but when plant based foods and foods rich in carbohydrates are fried, toasted, baked, grilled or roasted at high temperatures (temperatures above 120 degrees Celsius or 248 degrees Fahrenheit) acrylamide is formed.

The primary way that acrylamide forms is through a chemical reaction between the natural sugars and an amino acid called asparagine when they are heated at high temperatures

The higher the temperature and the longer the cooking time results in higher levels of acrylamide being present in the product.

You may be shocked to learn of some of the most common foods that contain acrylamide! Starchy foods such as potatoes and grains have the highest potential for acrylamide production.

In the typical modern diet, potato chips, french fries, boxed cereals, crackers, baked goods such

as cookies and bread (toast), chocolate, roasted nuts, canned sweet potatoes, canned pumpkin

and even some fruits and vegetable all contain varying levels of acrylamide. It is found in 40% of

the calories consumed in the average American diet. This widespread presence makes it highly

unlikely that acrylamide can be completely eliminated. If you’re wondering how that delicious

triple, venti, s...

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...ds were included in the study.

The National Toxicology Program and the International Agency for Research on Cancer consider acrylamide to be a “probable human carcinogen,” based on studies in laboratory animals given acrylamide in drinking water. However, toxicology studies have shown differences in acrylamide absorption rates between humans and rodents.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates acrylamide in drinking water. The

EPA established an acceptable level of acrylamide exposure, set low enough to account for any

uncertainty in the data relating acrylamide to cancer and neurotoxic effects. The U.S. Food and

Drug Administration regulates the amount of residual acrylamide in a variety of materials that

come in contact with food, but there are currently no guidelines governing the presence of

acrylamide in food itself.

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