What is Health Canada doing about acrylamide in food?
The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) determined that the estimated intake of acrylamide from certain foods may be a human health concern. Therefore, the Committee called for strategies to reduce exposure to acrylamide. Health Canada scientists participated in the JECFA evaluation and concur with its recommendations. While further research on the human health effects of dietary exposure to acrylamide is needed before the risks are fully understood, Health Canada is acting on JECFA’s recommendation to reduce exposure to foodborne acrylamide. At the time of the release of the draft screen assessment report for Batch 5 chemicals, Health Canada also updated its risk management measures to limit Canadians’ exposure to acrylamide from food sources. These measures were last updated in 2005.
