Research focusing varieties with lower levels of acrylamide

By MATTHEW WEAVER

Capital Press

The U.S. potato industry is looking for a better french fry.

Researchers hope to find potato varieties that form less acrylamide, a naturally occurring chemical compound, when cooked.

Acrylamide is created when starchy foods are cooked at a high temperature, said Chris Voigt, executive director of the Washington State Potato Commission.

Studies of whether acrylamide has an effect on humans have been inconclusive, Voigt said, but "we're concerned the Food and Drug Administration could step in at some point and regulate at a certain level."

At high doses, acrylamide has been found to cause cancer in some laboratory animals, according to the Grocery Manufacturers Association's website, acrylamidefacts.org. The FDA has not determined if the presence of acrylamide in food presents a health risk to humans, according to the website.

Acrylamide forms when sugar and the amino acid asparagine combine at high temperatures. It can also be found in other foods, such as crackers, cereals, breads, coffee, chocolate and barbecued steak.

The industry is looking for new varieties that are low in sugars or asparagine to reduce acrylamide levels when cooked.

David Parish, president and CEO with AIS Consulting in Dallas, Texas, said initial tests found several clones lower than the industry standard varieties used as checks.

The firm is also conducting three analyses each year to see how the varieties perform when stored.

Parish said 10 clones averaged less than 200 parts per billion of acrylamide and 32 averaged less than 300 parts per billion. The clones showed consistency in each of the test sites, in Washington, Idaho and North Dakota.

The settlement of a lawsuit filed under California Proposition 65 requires that foods with acrylamide levels higher than 300 parts per billion be labeled, Voigt said.

The consulting firm received samples from U.S. and Canadian breeding programs.

Funding is $350,000 per year from several potato organizations, grower groups and processing companies for a minimum three-year commitment. The research involves all aspects of the industry, he said.