Official Concern: U.N. weighs in on acrylamide toxicity

In fried, grilled, and baked foods, the formation of acrylamide–a carcinogen and nerve poison in rodents–constitutes “a serious problem,” according to a United Nations panel. However, it’s too early to tell whether concentrations typically found in Western diets cause cancer in people, the panel’s new report adds.

Meeting at World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters in Geneva last week, 23 food-science and cancer specialists reviewed the sparse data that have emerged on the presence of acrylamide in food and its potential impact on health.