WHO to discuss potential carcinogen

While experts are advising people they should not change their eating habits based on a Swedish study that found a substance that may cause human cancer is widespread in foods, the World Health Organization is concerned. It’s called an emergency meeting of scientists to weigh evidence, consider more studies and decide what to advise the public.

THE STUDY found that French fries, potato chips, breads, cereal and other popular high-carbohydrate foods may contain high levels of a compound that probably causes cancer.
The carcinogen, called acrylamide, appears to form when carbohydrates are heated in a certain way, such as by frying potatoes or baking bread, researchers found.
Scientists at Stockholm University first made the surprising discovery while carrying out research on the effects of cooking staple foods such as cereals, rice and potatoes, in which they found acrylamide, which is thought to cause cancer.
Sweden’s National Food Administration followed up on the research and tested more than 100 different samples of carbohydrate-rich foods subjected to high heat through frying, deep-frying or baking.
In laboratory animals, acrylamide causes tumors, so the U.S. government lists it as a “probable” cause of cancer in humans.

In just one bag of potato chips, they found 500 times more acrylamide than what’s considered safe. In french fries from Swedish outlets of the most popular American hamburger chains, they found 100 times the safe limit, and and high levels too, in cereals made by U.S. companies.

‘PROBABLE’ CAUSE OF CANCER
In laboratory animals, acrylamide causes tumors, so the U.S. government lists it as a “probable” cause of cancer in humans.
“The Swedish discovery is astonishing because nobody suspected that this potent carcinogen would be in our food supply,” said Michael Jacobson, head of Center for Science in the Public Interest, an advocacy group that monitors food safety.
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Elizabeth Whalen, a researcher who believes food problems are often overstated, said, “The evidence on the so called hazards of acrylamide are limited to high dose animal experiments involving rats and mice. And that simply is not an adequate basis for extrapilating to human cancer risk.”
But the WHO says it’s a potential problem that needs immediate attention. And the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has just begun it’s own tests as well, with results several months away.
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“I think we need to step back a little bit and wait for greater discussion of the issue and see the findings presented in more detail,” Carl Winter, a toxicologist at the University of California at Davis, told the Associated Press. “The most important thing is not the presence or absence of any type of ingredient, but how much is there.”

FURTHER QUESTIONS
Winter pointed out that it was unusual for such results to be released before publication in a scientific journal and said more investigation was needed.

“I would caution consumers to be a little patient here,” he said. “Cancer’s a very scary word, but one has to understand how these tests are done.”
Grocery manufacturers, who have a lot at stake in this debate, criticize the study.
“To our knowledge, the report was released before it was reviewed by other scientists, so it’s very inconclusive. But what we do know is that there’s not enough data to warrant any consumers overreacting, or changing their dietary habits,” said Gene Grabowski of the Grocery Manufacturers of America.
But others say it’s important to get answers soon, because the items like bread, cereal, chips and fries are so popular and tend to be consumed in large quantities.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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