Swedish Scientists Find Cancer Agent in Staple Foods

Tue Apr 23, 2002

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Scientists in Sweden have found high levels of a substance believed to cause cancer in staple foods eaten by millions of people around the world, such as bread, rice and potatoes, Swedish media reported on Tuesday.

Research carried out by scientists at Stockholm University's department of environmental chemistry showed starch, a carbohydrate found in cereals and potatoes, transforms into acrylamide when heated up, the daily newspaper Expressen reported on its Internet Web site.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (news - web sites) classifies acrylamide, a colorless, crystalline solid, as a medium hazard probable human carcinogen.

Detailed findings of the Stockholm University pilot study would be made public at a news conference on Wednesday called by Sweden's National Food Administration.

According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, acrylamide induces gene mutations and has been found in animal tests to cause benign and malignant stomach tumors.

It is also known to cause damage to the central and peripheral nervous system. Swedish TV4 television news said the researchers who made the discovery (news - web sites) spoke of "enormous global consequences for food production and consumption."

Expressen quoted Eva Buren, a spokeswoman at leading Swedish supermarket chain ICA, as saying representatives of the company and other big food stores attended a "crisis meeting" on Tuesday at which a list of products which might contain the carcinogen were reviewed.

Buren said Sweden's National Food Administration, whose representatives also attended the meeting, had not decided to remove any products from shelves, the paper said.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm...acrylamide_dc_1

Can't help being cynical here, it would take a lot more to even dent the current political, economical and public view regarding starch, carbs and sugar.

Wa'il

Hi

I'm a newbie & this is my first post, but I'll save my introductions for the "meet & greet" forum. (But I have lost 19 pounds in 4 1/2 weeks with my new WOE )

I just saw this article and though everyone would like to see it also
Carbs = Cancer

Cancer Risk Found in French Fries, Bread
Wed Apr 24,10:26 AM ET

By Peter Starck

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Basic foods eaten by millions around the world such as bread, biscuits, potato chips and french fries contain alarmingly high quantities of acrylamide, a substance believed to cause cancer, Swedish scientists said on Wednesday.

The research carried out at Stockholm University in cooperation with experts at Sweden's National Food Administration, a government food safety agency, showed that heating of carbohydrate-rich foods, such as potatoes, rice or cereals formed acrylamide, a much studied substance classified as a probable human carcinogen.

The research was deemed so important that the scientists decided on the unusual step of going public with their findings before the research had been officially published in an academic journal.

"I have been in this field for 30 years and I have never seen anything like this before," said Leif Busk, head of the food administration's research department.

Findings unveiled at a news conference called by the food administration showed that an ordinary bag of potato chips may contain up to 500 times more of the substance than the top level allowed in drinking water by the World Health Organization (news - web sites).

French fries sold at Swedish franchises of U.S. fast-food chains Burger King Corp and McDonald's contained about 100 times the one microgram per liter maximum permitted by the WHO for drinking water, the study showed.

One milligram, or 0.001 grams, contains 1,000 micrograms.

KNOWN HAZARD

The Environmental Protection Agency (news - web sites) classifies acrylamide, a colorless, crystalline solid, as a medium hazard probable human carcinogen.

According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, acrylamide induces gene mutations and has been found in animal tests to cause benign and malignant stomach tumors.

It is also known to cause damage to the central and peripheral nervous system.

"The discovery (news - web sites) that acrylamide is formed during the preparation of food, and at high levels, is new knowledge. It may now be possible to explain some of the cases of cancer caused by food," Busk said.

"Fried, oven-baked and deep-fried potato and cereal products may contain high levels of acrylamide," the administration said.

"Acrylamide is formed during the preparation of food and occurs in many foodstuffs...Many of the analyzed foodstuffs are consumed in large quantities, e.g. potato crisps, french fries, fried potatoes, biscuits and bread."

Among products analyzed in the study were potato chips made by Finnish company CHIPS ABP, whose shares fell 14.5 percent to six-month lows, as well as breakfast cereals made by U.S. Kellogg, Quaker Oats Co, part of PepsiCo Inc, and Swiss Nestle, and Old El Paso brand tortilla chips.

"For us, these are completely new findings which have never before been known to the world's foodstuffs industry," CHIPS ABP said in a statement to the Helsinki stock exchange.

Stefan Eriksson, marketing manager Burger King's subsidiary in Sweden, told Reuters by telephone: "We have received the information and we are evaluating what it will mean."

Spokesmen for the other companies mentioned in the research were not immediately available for comment.

NO PRODUCTS WITHDRAWN

Margareta Tornqvist, an associate professor at Stockholm University's department of environmental chemistry, said the consumption of a single potato crisp could take acrylamide intake up to the WHO maximum for drinking water.

Busk said, however, that the product analysis based on more than 100 random samples was not extensive enough for the administration to recommend the withdrawal of any products from supermarket shelves.

"Frying at high temperatures or for a long time should be avoided," Busk said, adding: "Our advice to eat less fat-rich products such as french fries and crisps, remains valid."

He said the findings applied worldwide, not only to Sweden, as the food raw materials used in the analyzes had showed no traces of acrylamide.

Swedish authorities had informed the European Commission (news - web sites) and EU member countries, Busk said.

"It is the first time we have come across such a result. We will evaluate this study and look at it but it is important to say that Sweden has not withdrawn any products from the market," said European Commission spokeswoman Beate Gminder.

"Therefore we'll have to see what the scientific evaluation by our side and by scientists in the member states will bring about," she said.

Liliane Abramsson-Zetterberg, a toxicologist at the Swedish food administration, said: "The cancer risk from acrylamide is much higher than (the levels) we accept for known carcinogens."

But smoking, which is known to cause cancer, remained a bigger risk, she said.


http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm...ood_cancer_dc_4

Welcome to the forum, Christo ...as I'm sure you know, it's a very friendly place!!!!! Thanks for sharing the article...very interesting.

And a definite CONGRATS on your weight loss!! That's fantastic!!!

I could feel the warmth the first day I found this site

Thanks for the words of encouragment

One thing that stands out in this article:

The research carried out at Stockholm University in cooperation with experts at Sweden's National Food Administration, a government food safety agency, showed that heating of carbohydrate-rich foods, such as potatoes, rice or cereals formed acrylamide, a much studied substance classified as a probable human carcinogen .

Not that it is....but it could be.

More shock media perhaps? Why not say cooking any food is bad for us. I mean eating char'ed meat has the same effect.

Should we all start eating raw whole foods and stop cooking altogether?

Things to ponder

There are a number of articles in the press today about findings by Swedish researchers that frying or baking carbohydrate rich foods produces high levels of acrylamide in them. This is a chemical that causes gene mutations which leead to stomach tumours.

So us low carb people seem to be on to a good thing. I have tried to post some links, but they do not work. Here is the article from Reuters.

Swedish study finds cancer agent in staple foods

Wednesday, April 24, 2002
By Reuters

STOCKHOLM, Sweden — Scientists in Sweden have found high levels of a substance believed to cause cancer in staple foods eaten by millions of people around the world, such as bread, rice and potatoes, Swedish media reported Tuesday.
Research carried out by scientists at Stockholm University's department of environmental chemistry showed starch, a carbohydrate found in cereals and potatoes, transforms into acrylamide when heated up, the daily newspaper Expressen reported on its Internet Web site.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency classifies acrylamide, a colorless, crystalline solid, as a medium hazard probable human carcinogen.

Detailed findings of the Stockholm University pilot study would be made public at a news conference Wednesday called by Sweden's National Food Administration.

According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, acrylamide induces gene mutations and has been found in animal tests to cause benign and malignant stomach tumors. It is also known to cause damage to the central and peripheral nervous system.

Swedish TV4 television news said the researchers who made the discovery spoke of "enormous global consequences for food production and consumption."

Expressen quoted Eva Buren, a spokeswoman at leading Swedish supermarket chain ICA, as saying representatives of the company and other big food stores attended a "crisis meeting" Tuesday at which a list of products which might contain the carcinogen were reviewed.

Buren said Sweden's National Food Administration, whose representatives also attended the meeting, had not decided to remove any products from shelves, the paper said.


Copyright 2002, Reuters
All Rights Reserved

Thanks for posting, let's see how fast this gets buried / discredited by ADM etc

This was posted by another member yesterday...

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthre...&threadid=41626

I still say the main thing that stands out here is:

as a medium hazard probable human carcinogen.

Not that it is....not that it isn't. They just don't know if it really is the cause. They released the information way in advance of knowing for sure. So I would not take this as 100 percent truth and honesty.

More info from the Swedish Health authority:

http://www2.slv.se/

Wa'il

Sometimes we need little reassurances that this woe is good for us and thinking that this is a possibility, will keep many of us on the straight and narrow.

Personally, I think that anything in excess can be dangerous. Even if you drink too much water too fast, it can kill you. I think this is how they do their research sometimes. I mean, who wouldn't think that a rat would die if you fed it 5 lbs of sugar at a time?

We have to all learn to read between the lines and use some common sense to sort some of these things out. I agree with agonycat, take this for what it is worth, and use it to your advantage, but don't count on it as the absolute truth-----yet!

Thursday April 25, 2002

Press Release

SOURCE: The Wheat Foods Council

Wheat Foods Council Statement on Food-Cancer Study

PARKER, Colo., April 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Recent media stories have addressed research from Sweden regarding carbohydrate-rich foods and cancer. This study contributes to consumer confusion as conflicting nutrition information makes its way to the spotlight. The Wheat Foods Council would like to offer some balanced perspectives on the issue:

``The grains industry takes the health of consumers very seriously. Our first priority is to ensure they have access to information that helps them make sound health decisions. We plan to evaluate the study further, but it is important to remember extensive research has shown that carbohydrate-rich grain foods have been found to provide many health benefits. In fact, many studies have shown the consumption of enriched or whole grain foods may help prevent cancer,'' says Judi Adams, M.S., R.D., President of the Wheat Foods Council.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Guide Pyramid recommends Americans eat six to 11 servings of grain foods, such as bread, each day. These complex carbohydrates provide folic acid, fiber, phytochemicals, and other vitamins and nutrients essential for health.

``We need to keep this in perspective, this is one study, done on rats, in a laboratory. We are not discounting the study findings, however, this study has not been peer-reviewed and has not been published in an academic journal. In addition, it is important to note the Swedish authorities have not taken any action to alter consumer consumption of these foods,'' Adams says.

Dr. Elizabeth M. Whelan, President of the American Council on Science and Health (ACSH), a nonprofit consumer education consortium of physicians and scientists based in New York City encourages consumers to regard the study with skepticism, ``There is no evidence whatsoever that humans who eat the observed levels of acrylamide are exposed to any risk of any type of cancer.''

For more details or additional information, please contact Sherry Frey at (816) 474-9407, ext. 376.

The Wheat Foods Council is a nonprofit organization formed in 1972 to help increase public awareness of grains, complex carbohydrates, and fiber as essential components of a healthful diet.

SOURCE: The Wheat Foods Council


http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/020425/lnth018_1.html

"...In fact, many studies have shown the consumption of enriched or whole grain foods may help prevent cancer..."

Or promote it, in the 1 in 120-170 people who may be sensitive to gluten or have latent Celiac disease. To this day, I've not read a balanced (unbiased) study on the supposed benefit of grain vs. cancer. If someone could point a good one out, I'd appreciate it...

There was a news article about a Swedish study that concluded that starchy foods heated at 'high' temperatures could cause cancer. They specifically mentioned: french fries, potato chips, cereals and breads. The article said that one bag of potato chips had 300 times the safe amount of some chemical that can cause cancer.

Has anyone seen the details of this study?