The potato industry is behind a unified effort to learn more about acrylamide - which was discovered in food about ten years ago. This potential carcinogen is found in certain foods after they’re cooked.
Potatoes account for almost 40-percent of the acrylamide in the U.S. diet. Dr. A.J. Bussan - Associate Professor of Horticulture at the University of Wisconsin - says acrylamide is a minimal food safety risk at this time.
Says Bussan: "What really brought it to the limelight is there’s some regulations that were put into place for maximum limits for acrylamide and food products in the state of California but the FDA hasn’t established a limit yet. They don’t consider acrylamide in food that occurs naturally as part of a baking or frying process to be a health risk to the average U.S. citizen."
