Acrylamide: Why french fries shouldn't be overheated

A natural byproduct of cooking high-carbohydrate foods at high temperatures, acrylamide turns up in a wide variety of roasted and baked foods, including potato chips, french fries, breakfast cereal, baby food, bread and crackers.

Research has shown that the chemical can cause tumors and neurological problems in lab animals when they are fed unnaturally large doses.

So far, U.S. consumers don't seem worried;surveys show most people have never heard of acrylamide, even though it turns up in about 40 percent of food.

But federal governing bodies in the U.S., Canada and Europe are stepping up efforts to deal with the chemical, and food-industry chemists already are aggressively pursuing ways to reduce it in their products.

In the U.S., the FDA announced it may issue industry guidelines on how to reduce acrylamide levels in food. The move comes in anticipation of emerging research, including studies conducted at the FDA's lab at the National Center for Toxicological Research.

Though the agency regulates the amount of residual acrylamide in materials that come in contact with food, there are no guidelines governing the presence of acrylamide in food itself.

Instead, the FDA's advice is to eat a healthy, balanced diet that is low in fat, cholesterol, salt and added sugar and rich in high-fiber grains, fruits and vegetables.