Acrylamide and Furans Survey Summary

Acrylamide and furans are produced naturally when some foods are cooked or processed at high temperatures. In October 2016, The Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT) published a risk assessment on acrylamide in the diet of infants and young children and concluded there was a potential concern regarding the development of cancers. In February 2019, the COT published a statement on chemicals in the diet of infants and young children, including furans, and found that exposures to furans are of potential concern. There is limited data on methyl furans in food, which means these conclusions can change as we gain new information. Levels of acrylamide and furans should be as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA). To achieve this, the FSA is working to gather data on these substances in food and to make sure that the mitigation measures in Retained EU Legislation Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/2158 are being implemented.