Dr. Rhona Applebaum, executive VP, scientific and regulatory affairs for the National Food Processors Association (NFPA), has said that consumers should not make dietary changes in light of recent research that acrylamide (a potentially cancer-causing chemical) can be found in certain foods.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Dr Applebaum said: “Scientists around the world who are studying various questions concerning the presence of acrylamide in foods have consistently concluded that they do not recommend changes to either diet or processing methods based on recent scientific findings.”
The comments were made in response to a call from the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) that consumers restrict their diets on the basis of the preliminary research findings in Sweden, Norway and the UK.
“Certainly, research has raised important questions,” admitted Dr Applebaum, however she added: “In fact, these findings were based on an analytical method that has yet to be validated and that is still in the developmental process, according to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).”
She continued: “A variety of scientific organizations are now examining available information related to acrylamide in foods, and are in the process of determining scientifically whether or not acrylamide in food has any implications for human health.
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalData“We urge all those involved in this process to let science lead the way, to neither preempt the scientific process nor jump to conclusions unsupported by fact, and to resist the temptation to use this issue to advance political or activist agendas.”
NFPA represents the US$500bn US food processing industry.
