Acrylamide in Groceries

Germany's Ministry for Agriculture and Consumer Protection on Wednesday published the results of a study of more than 1,000 food products believed to contain acrylamide, an agent suspected of causing cancer. The agency called on food producers to reduce acrylamide levels in their products following a series of studies providing strong evidence the agent causes cancer. Acrylamide is formed when carbohydrate-rich foods are heated. Ministry underssecretary Andreas Müller said the levels had shrunk in some of the products tested. Among those foodstuffs tested were french frieds, fried potatos, potato chips and grain products.