Post by Tom Wagner on Jun 22, 2010 1:09:37 GMT -8
Acrylamide in potatoes (and other starchy foods) and what to do about it
I don't know how many times I have to be dismayed with scare tactics that reduce the consumption of potatoes and makes a potato breeder out to be an evil, really evil person just because he likes and admires potatoes in all ways. I understand that Acrylamide can be a danger but not in the way the press, newpapers and the internet portrays it. I don't know how many times I run into people who brag, "I don't eat potatoes...I don't eat potato chips.....potatoes are fattening.....etc." People read the newspapers, books, and internet news and naturally think they are informed about potatoes among other things.
Twain was right.
"If you don't read the newspaper, you're uninformed. If you read the newspaper, you're mis-informed."
— Mark Twain
Acrylamide is akin to the Global Warming debauchery, and the "what to do about it" is to destroy fuel sources, and that is not a slip of the tongue either. The Acrylamide debauchery makes people give up on good food, tasty food, and I include potato chips in that category and their “what to do about it” is to give up on potatoes since they know not what really to do about it. One study offers the tea and rosemary solutions....that is fine, I like that. But what I want to offer is a plant breeder's solution...and that solution is predicated on knowing the pros and cons of the argument. I am prefacing my arguments with a bit of copy/paste which barely covers what I am leading up to.
www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,51186,00.html
This 2002 article more or less debunked the scare of….. Acrylamide
Does the ALAR scare mean anything to you? Those of you who don't eat potato chips...who are you kidding in all due respect? I can eat 35 chips if I am a real glutton but I would have to eat 1,000 times that every day to reach the projected toxic level of Acrylamide....I think other features of eating 35,000 chips in a day might kick in first....salt overload, too full, gassing out people, enough oil to pollute the Gulf of Mexico, exceeding my caloric intake...oh, good grief!
Teratogenicity
www.inchem.org/documents/pims/chemical/pim652.htm
www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/securit/chem-chim/food-aliment/acrylamide/major_pathway-voie_09_mar_05-eng.php
www.i-sis.org.uk/acrylamide.php
ddr.nal.usda.gov/dspace/handle/10113/1810
www.ethlife.ethz.ch/archive_articles/070920-acrylamid/index_EN
shows that even dried pears and prunes can have higher levels of acrylamide.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acrylamide
I am my own worst enemy....I don't have the time to make myself informed, much less make the argument to inform anyone else. But try I must.
If you notice some of the links about potato breeding and storage, reducing sugars, the projection of lowering the acrylamide by lowering the precursors such as the asparagine, and sucrose, glucose etc., and the reconditioning of potatoes stored at cold temps, or not putting them down at low temps to begin with.
Notice that three of the potato varieties that we eat are high in the measurements that might lead to the accumulation of acrylamide. Russets, reds, and Yukon Gold...oh, great...are culprits. How about someone like me who uses Ozettes, Kennebecs, Agria, and some of the other "good" potatoes in breeding schemes. The hope is to combine the right combination that yet does not exist to lower all levels of the culprit catalysis How about my Skagit Valley Gold that cooks in less time than conventional potatoes...less cooking and lower temps means you just might be able to eat 350,000 potato chips a day without ill effects.
Like I said, I don't have the time, the energy, and the wherewithal to fully address this topic. Nevertheless, I think I may have some partial information that allows me to offer a few more “what to do about its” to the industry.
Sorry about my soap box, I should use whatever soap is left and wash out my mouth. Tom Wagner
I don't know how many times I have to be dismayed with scare tactics that reduce the consumption of potatoes and makes a potato breeder out to be an evil, really evil person just because he likes and admires potatoes in all ways. I understand that Acrylamide can be a danger but not in the way the press, newpapers and the internet portrays it. I don't know how many times I run into people who brag, "I don't eat potatoes...I don't eat potato chips.....potatoes are fattening.....etc." People read the newspapers, books, and internet news and naturally think they are informed about potatoes among other things.
Twain was right.
"If you don't read the newspaper, you're uninformed. If you read the newspaper, you're mis-informed."
— Mark Twain
Acrylamide is akin to the Global Warming debauchery, and the "what to do about it" is to destroy fuel sources, and that is not a slip of the tongue either. The Acrylamide debauchery makes people give up on good food, tasty food, and I include potato chips in that category and their “what to do about it” is to give up on potatoes since they know not what really to do about it. One study offers the tea and rosemary solutions....that is fine, I like that. But what I want to offer is a plant breeder's solution...and that solution is predicated on knowing the pros and cons of the argument. I am prefacing my arguments with a bit of copy/paste which barely covers what I am leading up to.
www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,51186,00.html
This 2002 article more or less debunked the scare of….. Acrylamide
The researchers claim that a single potato chip may contain as much as one-millionth of a gram (a microgram) of acrylamide.
Assuming for the sake of argument that the lab animal tests are relevant to humans, the lowest dose in lab animals at which a slight increase in cancer incidence was reported is 500 micrograms per kilogram of rodent bodyweight per day, according to the EPA.
For the average 70 kilogram adult (about 154 lbs.), that would be an equivalent dose of acrylamide of 35,000 micrograms. To get an equivalent daily dose of acrylamide as the lab animals, someone of average bodyweight would have to eat 35,000 potato chips (about 62.5 pounds) per day for life.
Referring to the chart below for the amount of acrylamide in foods, in a single day, the child can eat 13 kg (29 lb) of French fried potatoes, the woman can drink 86 kg (~86 L, or 23 US gal) of prune juice, and the man can eat 29 kg (64 lb) of oven baked potatoes, and each of them will have ingested less than 50 percent of the NOAEL of acrylamide. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acrylamide#Safe_levels_of_acrylamide
Assuming for the sake of argument that the lab animal tests are relevant to humans, the lowest dose in lab animals at which a slight increase in cancer incidence was reported is 500 micrograms per kilogram of rodent bodyweight per day, according to the EPA.
For the average 70 kilogram adult (about 154 lbs.), that would be an equivalent dose of acrylamide of 35,000 micrograms. To get an equivalent daily dose of acrylamide as the lab animals, someone of average bodyweight would have to eat 35,000 potato chips (about 62.5 pounds) per day for life.
Referring to the chart below for the amount of acrylamide in foods, in a single day, the child can eat 13 kg (29 lb) of French fried potatoes, the woman can drink 86 kg (~86 L, or 23 US gal) of prune juice, and the man can eat 29 kg (64 lb) of oven baked potatoes, and each of them will have ingested less than 50 percent of the NOAEL of acrylamide. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acrylamide#Safe_levels_of_acrylamide
Does the ALAR scare mean anything to you? Those of you who don't eat potato chips...who are you kidding in all due respect? I can eat 35 chips if I am a real glutton but I would have to eat 1,000 times that every day to reach the projected toxic level of Acrylamide....I think other features of eating 35,000 chips in a day might kick in first....salt overload, too full, gassing out people, enough oil to pollute the Gulf of Mexico, exceeding my caloric intake...oh, good grief!
The Scientist today (2005) reports how a German study claiming that levels of acrylamide in the body might not be so strongly affected by consumption of acrylamide-containing fried foods as earlier research implied has come under heavy criticism from the team’s peers. Quite ironically, the magazine describes the disagreements as “bitter”.
Teratogenicity
www.inchem.org/documents/pims/chemical/pim652.htm
Administration of acrylamide to pregnant rats has been
shown to produce neurotoxic effects (tibial and optic nerve
degeneration) in neonates at levels that are non-toxic to the
dams (Dearfield et al., 1988). The lowest observed effect
occurred at doses of 20 mg/kg/day.
Edwards (1976) dosed pregnant rats with cumulative doses up
to 400 mg/kg between days 0 and 20 of gestation and found no
evidence of developmental or neurological abnormality in
weanling rats despite evidence of neuropathy in the dams.
No human data are available.
shown to produce neurotoxic effects (tibial and optic nerve
degeneration) in neonates at levels that are non-toxic to the
dams (Dearfield et al., 1988). The lowest observed effect
occurred at doses of 20 mg/kg/day.
Edwards (1976) dosed pregnant rats with cumulative doses up
to 400 mg/kg between days 0 and 20 of gestation and found no
evidence of developmental or neurological abnormality in
weanling rats despite evidence of neuropathy in the dams.
No human data are available.
www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/securit/chem-chim/food-aliment/acrylamide/major_pathway-voie_09_mar_05-eng.php
Establishing the principal pathway of formation of acrylamide in foods allowed investigation of the effect of some parameters for reducing concentrations of acrylamide in potato-based products (chips, fries, etc.) Preliminary results indicate that the overall reduction of acrylamide formation can be achieved by:
• reducing the concentrations of reactants needed for acrylamide formation - notably reducing sugars;
• increasing the concentrations of reactants (e.g. other amino acids) competing with asparagine in the Maillard reaction;
• changing processing conditions (lower pH, lower temperature, shorter heating times), thus altering the rate of formation of acrylamide;
• scavenging already-formed acrylamide by other chemical compounds (via addition to the double bond).
Dietary Sources
Asparagine is not an essential amino acid, which means that it can be synthesized from central metabolic pathway intermediates in humans and is not required in the diet. Asparagine is found in:
• Animal sources: dairy, whey, beef, poultry, eggs, fish, lactalbumin, seafood
• Plant sources: asparagus, potatoes, legumes, nuts, seeds, soy, whole grains
[edit] Biosynthesis
The precursor to asparagine is oxaloacetate
• reducing the concentrations of reactants needed for acrylamide formation - notably reducing sugars;
• increasing the concentrations of reactants (e.g. other amino acids) competing with asparagine in the Maillard reaction;
• changing processing conditions (lower pH, lower temperature, shorter heating times), thus altering the rate of formation of acrylamide;
• scavenging already-formed acrylamide by other chemical compounds (via addition to the double bond).
Dietary Sources
Asparagine is not an essential amino acid, which means that it can be synthesized from central metabolic pathway intermediates in humans and is not required in the diet. Asparagine is found in:
• Animal sources: dairy, whey, beef, poultry, eggs, fish, lactalbumin, seafood
• Plant sources: asparagus, potatoes, legumes, nuts, seeds, soy, whole grains
[edit] Biosynthesis
The precursor to asparagine is oxaloacetate
www.i-sis.org.uk/acrylamide.php
The glyphosate (ie Roundup) herbicides of Monsanto Corporation are of particular concern because the herbicide interacts with the polymer [2-4]. Experiments showed that heat and light contribute to the release of acrylamide from polyacrylamide, and glyphosate was found to influence the solubility of polyacrylamide, so care was advised in mixing the two.
The evidence seems compelling, therefore, that acrylamide is being released from polyacrylamide in the environment, one of the main sources of which is in glyphosate herbicide formulations. Cooking vegetables that had been exposed to the glyphosate herbicide used with herbicide-tolerant crops, or used during soil preparation for normal crops would result in the releasing more acrylamide. Worse yet, additives such as polyacrylamide are designated ‘trade secrets’ in North America and information on the contents of herbicide preparations are not available to the public.
The evidence seems compelling, therefore, that acrylamide is being released from polyacrylamide in the environment, one of the main sources of which is in glyphosate herbicide formulations. Cooking vegetables that had been exposed to the glyphosate herbicide used with herbicide-tolerant crops, or used during soil preparation for normal crops would result in the releasing more acrylamide. Worse yet, additives such as polyacrylamide are designated ‘trade secrets’ in North America and information on the contents of herbicide preparations are not available to the public.
ddr.nal.usda.gov/dspace/handle/10113/1810
The free amino acid asparagine and the reducing sugars glucose and fructose has been reported to serve as precursors for the heat-induced formation of potentially toxic acrylamide in a variety of plant-based food. To contribute to our knowledge about the levels of these precursors, we used ion-exchange chromatography to measure free asparagine and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to measure free glucose, fructose, and sucrose in 9 potato varieties sold at retail in Italy and in 22 varieties sold in the United States.
Asparagine levels (in mmol/kg of fresh wt) ranged from 1.17 for the Agata potatoes to 57.65 Russet potatoes, a 49.3-fold variation from lowest to highest value.
The corresponding levels for fructose ranged from 1.73 (Fingerling Ozette) to 33.63 (Red), a 19.4-fold variation from the lowest to the highest value.
For glucose, the concentration ranged from 1.11 (Jelli) to 34.73 (Yukon Gold B) potatoes, a 31.3-fold variation from lowest to highest value.
The corresponding values for sucrose ranged from 1.16 (Fingerling Ozette) to 40.61 (Marabel) potatoes, a 35-fold variation.
The American potato varieties Kennebec, White, and Fingerling Ozette and the Italian potato varieties Agria, Merit, and Marabel had very low levels of both asparagine and reducing sugars.
The results may enable consumers, restaurants, and processors to select commercial potatoes with low levels of acrylamide precursors for baking or frying.
Asparagine levels (in mmol/kg of fresh wt) ranged from 1.17 for the Agata potatoes to 57.65 Russet potatoes, a 49.3-fold variation from lowest to highest value.
The corresponding levels for fructose ranged from 1.73 (Fingerling Ozette) to 33.63 (Red), a 19.4-fold variation from the lowest to the highest value.
For glucose, the concentration ranged from 1.11 (Jelli) to 34.73 (Yukon Gold B) potatoes, a 31.3-fold variation from lowest to highest value.
The corresponding values for sucrose ranged from 1.16 (Fingerling Ozette) to 40.61 (Marabel) potatoes, a 35-fold variation.
The American potato varieties Kennebec, White, and Fingerling Ozette and the Italian potato varieties Agria, Merit, and Marabel had very low levels of both asparagine and reducing sugars.
The results may enable consumers, restaurants, and processors to select commercial potatoes with low levels of acrylamide precursors for baking or frying.
www.ethlife.ethz.ch/archive_articles/070920-acrylamid/index_EN
shows that even dried pears and prunes can have higher levels of acrylamide.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acrylamide
In the case of potatoes, for instance, the storage temperature should not drop below 8 °C (46 °F). When the temperature is as low as 4 °C (39 °F) the fructose content rises sharply, so that the acrylamide formation during baking or deep-frying will be higher. [citation needed]
New varieties of potatoes that produce less or no acrylamide are being bred.
New varieties of potatoes that produce less or no acrylamide are being bred.
I am my own worst enemy....I don't have the time to make myself informed, much less make the argument to inform anyone else. But try I must.
If you notice some of the links about potato breeding and storage, reducing sugars, the projection of lowering the acrylamide by lowering the precursors such as the asparagine, and sucrose, glucose etc., and the reconditioning of potatoes stored at cold temps, or not putting them down at low temps to begin with.
Notice that three of the potato varieties that we eat are high in the measurements that might lead to the accumulation of acrylamide. Russets, reds, and Yukon Gold...oh, great...are culprits. How about someone like me who uses Ozettes, Kennebecs, Agria, and some of the other "good" potatoes in breeding schemes. The hope is to combine the right combination that yet does not exist to lower all levels of the culprit catalysis How about my Skagit Valley Gold that cooks in less time than conventional potatoes...less cooking and lower temps means you just might be able to eat 350,000 potato chips a day without ill effects.
Like I said, I don't have the time, the energy, and the wherewithal to fully address this topic. Nevertheless, I think I may have some partial information that allows me to offer a few more “what to do about its” to the industry.
Sorry about my soap box, I should use whatever soap is left and wash out my mouth. Tom Wagner