The NCA continues to draft industry comments in response to a notice in the Federal Register in August, seeking data and information on methods for reducing acrylamide levels in food as well as reductions that manufacturers have been able to achieve in acrylamide levels.  The FDA notice originally had a deadline of November 24; that deadline has been extended to January 24.
 
Acrylamide is generated in coffee during the roasting process. Current findings show that the variation of processing conditions, including roasting conditions, does not provide opportunities to substantially reduce the level of acrylamide without compromising taste and aroma.
 
The Joint Expert Committee of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (JECFA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) concluded that a wide variety of foods may contribute to acrylamide exposure.  Acrylamide can cause cancer in laboratory animals at high doses, although it is not clear whether it causes cancer at the much lower levels in food. 
 
JECFA, while expressing some concern about dietary exposure to acrylamide, cautions that its report contains uncertainties because of the limitations in the data it used to evaluate acrylamide. The report also states "there is still considerable uncertainty about the mechanism of the toxicity of acrylamide, assumptions used to compare the most relevant data to the human situation, and extrapolation of the intake assessments."
 
In response to the JECFA report, the World Health Organization recommended giving the following advice to consumers: "There is no reason to alter their diets, but stress that people should eat a balanced and varied diet, which includes plenty of fruit and vegetables, and moderate consumption of fried and fatty food." In its response, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration advises American consumers to "eat a balanced diet, choosing a variety of foods that are low in trans fat and saturated fat, and rich in high-fiber grains, fruits, and vegetables."
 
Additionally, in formulating its response to the FDA notice, the NCA is seeking to partner in a workshop with other members of the food industry; specifically potato products, baked goods, and cereals. The objective is to get the word out that the food industry is doing something about acrylamide and that guidance is a better risk management tool for governments than setting regulation standards

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