Kostkunskap

Now I have sent this to the EFSA

EFSA has published the report

Draft Scientific Opinion on Acrylamide in Food1 2

EFSA Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain (CONTAM)2, 3 3

European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), Parma, Italy

http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/consultations/call/140701.pdf

Abbreviations:

Acrylamide = AA, average medium bound =MB, no-observed-adverse-effect level = NOAEL, Letal Dos för 50 % av försökspopulationen = LD50

 It is enough to read less than seven lines in the draft report to find major errors in the draft report.

Line No 46-49

AA was found at the highest levels in Coffee and coffee substitutes‟ (average medium bound (MB) levels of 578 μg/kg), followed by Potato crisps and snacks‟ (average MB level of 389 μg/kg) and „Potato fried products‟ (average MB  level of 308 μg/kg).

 
Line No 133-135

Rodent studies have demonstrated adverse effects of AA on male reproductive parameters including reduced sperm counts and effects on sperm and testis morphology with a no-observed-adverse-effectlevel (NOAEL) of approximately 2 mg/kg b.w. per day.

Let’s look at coffee. Coffee contains 578 µg AA per kg. One cup of coffee is brewed on 10 g ground coffee. This means that one liter (L) of coffee need 60 g of ground coffee per L of coffee which equals 35 µg AA per liter of ready to drink coffee. This is the same amount (20 µg/L) as the Swedish Food Authority published in 2002

 LD50 for mouse is 0,1 g/kg BW other species have higher LD50. If we assume that humans have the same low value of LD50 as mice then a normal human of 70 kg should have an LD50 of about 7 g.

To get enough AA through coffee-drinking to reach LD50 it requires that a person has to drink 7 000 000/35 = 200 000 liters of coffee per day to reach LD50.

 NOAEL is at least 2 mg/kg BW or 2 000 µg/kg BW. This means that I have to drink more than 70*2 000/35 = 4 000 liters of coffee per day to reach the NOAEL.

NOAEL is no-observed-adverse-effect level. But 4 000 liters of coffee is a little too much in my taste, I prefer max two liters of coffee per day.

Conclusion:

The EFSA Draft Scientific Opinion on Acrylamide in Food

EFSA Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain (CONTAM

is a report without any scientific evidence of the dangers of acrylamide.

This Draft Scientific Opinion on Acrylamide in Food lacks all signs of Science.

The researchers (Panel members are with some DoI or conflicts of interest).:

have produced this piece of desinformation should be ashamed of themselves and at least five of the "researchers" have definitive bonds to ILSI, a lobby organization in disguise. So the question to be raised is if they may have been paid to produce this piece of desinformation that, due to major calculating errors and non-scientific "conclutions" is to be sent directly into the dustbin.

The members of ILSI are Monsanto, Arla Foods, Kraft, Kelloggs, Heinz, Nestlé and all the other major food manufacurers. Find all members here:

ILSI member list

and ILSI States:
"ILSI is grateful for the corporate support it receives. We offer our sincerest appreciation to the companies who make our work to improve scientific knowledge possible."

ILSI Board of Trustees are here

Mora 2014-07-07

Björn Hammarskjöld
Assistant Professor in Pediatrics
M.D., Ph.D.
Independent Senior Scientist in Nutrition