Consumers should not fear acrylamide in high-heated, high-carbohydrate foods as long as they maintain a well-balanced diet, according to the international not-for-profit scientific society, Institute of Food Technologists.
Scientists say more studies are needed to learn about acrylamide, a known carcinogen when exposed to lab animals in large quantities. But Carl Winter, a professor at UC-Davis said it is not the presence or absence of any type of ingredient, but how much is there. He added there would always be risks associated with food.
Mary Ellen Camire, a University of Maine food science and human nutrition expert, contends the immense nutritional benefits of grains and potatoes offset any minuscule contaminants they may contain.
“We eat a lot of unusual chemicals but that’s what food is, a complex mixture of chemicals,” says Camire. “What’s important is getting a balance of what’s best.”