Top Twenty Acrylamide-Rich Foods

By Ben Kim, D.C.
In July of 2006, the United States Food and Drug Administration released the results of its latest research on the acrylamide content of common foods.
The top 20 foods by average acrylamide intake by the U.S.
population are as follows:
French Fries (made in restaurants)
French Fries (oven baked)
Potato Chips
Breakfast Cereals
Cookies
Brewed Coffee
Toast
Pies and Cakes
Crackers
Soft Bread
Chile con Carne
Corn Snacks
Popcorn
Pretzels
Pizza
Burrito/Tostada
Peanut Butter
Breaded Chicken
Bagels
Soup Mix
Acrylamide has been shown to cause cancer in animals. Exposure to large doses of acrylamide has also been shown to cause neurological damage in humans. Acrylamide tends to form when foods that are high in carbohydrates and/or an amino acid called asparagine are cooked at high temperatures. Cooking methods that tend to require high temperatures - like frying, roasting, and baking - are more likely to cause acrylamide formation in food. Non-cooked and boiled foods almost never contain detectable levels of acrylamide.
The top two food groups listed above - French fries and potato chips - are easily two of the most damaging foods to human health.
Despite the creation of "healthy" varieties of French fries and potato chips like New York Fries - Fried in 100% Non-Hydrogenated Sunflower Oil and Trader Joe's Veggie Chips Potato Snacks, it's important to know that all French fries and potato chips that have been deep-fried in oil are heavily laced with acrylamide and pose a serious threat to one's health.