An analysis of foods we eat every day such as bread, coffee, milk, meat and tap water has expel our exposure to chemicals. The 24th Australian Total Diet Study by Food Standards Australia New Zealand tested 94 commonly consumed foods and drinks. The first part of the study tested three food chemicals: acrylamide, aluminum and perchlorates.
While the result fell within the safe range overall, levels of acrylamide appeared to be of possible concern to human health. Acrylamide forms naturally in carbohydrate-rich foods when they are heated at high temperatures by roasting, baking, grilling, toasting and frying.
“The acrylamide is formed in natural chemical reactions between food components(组成部分) that also give us tasty browning and crunchy texture,” says Professor Ian Rae, an honorary professorial fellow at the University of Melbourne.
The chemical is known to cause cancer in animals, but in humans the exposure “threshold” is unknown, say the World Health Organization. “There is no direct evidence acrylamide causes cancer in humans, but food regulators, including FSANZ, agree that we should reduce our exposure,” the study’s authors say.
They found that cereals and grain-based foods were the main sources of acrylamide in our diets, followed by snacks, condiments, fried potato products and meat.
Surprisingly high levels of the chemical were found in fried beef mince, fresh and fried onions, while pre-packaged olives, chocolate-flavoured energy drinks, grilled asparagus, baked beans and prune juice also rated a mention.
“Beef mince has a high surface area which would allow acrylamide to form if the appropriate precursor chemicals(易制毒化学品) were present,” the authors say. Similarly, onions have a relatively low sugar content compared to many other starchy vegetables. The results indicate that the cooking method and surface area of the food may be a contributing factor for acrylamide formation.
Also confounding expectations were pizza and coffee, which did not have detectable levels of the chemical. Fresh fruit and vegetables were not tested. “The formation of acrylamide in raw fruit and vegetables is unlikely,” the authors say.
In all tested foods, the acrylamide levels “were generally lower than, or comparable to, those reported in Australian and international studies”. However, the authors acknowledge that based on WHO estimates “the acrylamide exposure of Australian consumers is consistent(与.….保持一致) with those considered to be of possible concern to human health”.
Dr Tan Musgrave. a senior lecturer in the school of medical sciences at the University of Adelaide, responded to the study’s results saying: “Our foods are of international quality and indeed perform better in some aspects compared to international standards.”
【小题1】According to Australian studies, acrylamide is a chemical that ________.| A．could bring about cancer to animals and human beings. |
| B．is formed naturally in carbohydrate-rich foods in boiling them. |
| C．should be reduced with regard to human exposure. |
| D．is formed in artificial chemical reactions between food components. |
| A．surface area might result in acrylamide formation |
| B．fresh food is unlikely to form acrylamide |
| C．cooking method is a contributing factor for acrylamide composition. |
| D．food with relatively low sugar content will not form acrylamide. |
| A．the world average | B．those in international studies |
| C．WHO standards | D．those consumed by Australians |
| A．how to detect and reduce acrylamide |
| B．how to reduce acrylamide levels in our foods. |
| C．whether levels of acrylamide are doing harm to human health. |
| D．whether the food chemical acrylamide is within safe range |
