FSA publishes Process contaminants Survey in Retail products 2007

The British Food Standard Agency published a Food Surveillance Information Sheet on process contaminants in retail products in 2007

This Food Surveillance Information Sheet (FSIS) contains the results from the first year of a three-year rolling programme. The programme measures the amounts of acrylamide, along with three other chemicals produced in food when it is processed during food manufacture, home cooking, packaging or other processing activities. These sorts of chemicals are known as 'process contaminants'.

A total of 335 analyses on 192 samples representing 10 food groups are reported. Samples were taken from retail outlets in the UK and represent a snapshot of levels in a range of products as they would be bought by people. Samples were tested for acrylamide, as well as 3-MCPD (3-monochloropropanediol), furan and ethyl carbamate where appropriate.

Several potato products were included in this survey.