2-Propenamide (Acrylamide)

CAS Registry Number 79-06-1

The Final Screening Assessment for Acrylamide was published on August 22, 2009 as part of Batch 5 of the Challenge initiative of the Chemicals Management Plan (CMP). The assessment is summarized on this web page.

What is it

• 2-Propenamide, also known as acrylamide, is an industrial chemical and can also form from naturally occurring components of certain foods when cooked at high temperatures.

How is it used

• The majority of acrylamide is used in the manufacture of various polymers, which in turn are used as binding, thickening, or flocculating agents in grout, cement, sewage and wastewater treatment, pesticide formulations, cosmetics, sugar manufacturing, soil erosion prevention, ore processing, food packaging, plastic products, and in molecular biology laboratory applications.
• In Canada, polyacrylamide is used as a coagulant and flocculant for the clarification of drinking water. It is also used in potting soils and as a non-medicinal ingredient in natural health products and pharmaceuticals.
• Acrylamide is not manufactured in Canada but is imported into Canada.

Why did the Government of Canada assess it

• Prior to the assessment, acrylamide was identified as a potential human health concern based on its classification by international organizations as a substance that may cause cancer, genetic, reproductive, or developmental effects, according to laboratory studies. It was also a priority for assessment because it had a high potential for exposure to people in Canada. Acrylamide is also associated with neurological effects.

How are people in Canada exposed to it

• People in Canada are exposed to acrylamide in the diet as a result of its formation from naturally occurring components of certain foods when cooked at high temperatures, such as French fries and potato chips. Acrylamide is not present in any ingredient of these foods prior to cooking and it is not a contaminant inadvertently added at any stage of food preparation.
• The highest concentrations of acrylamide found in foods in Canada have been reported in potato chips and French fries. Acrylamide has also been found in breakfast cereals, pastries and cookies, breads, rolls and toast, cocoa products, and coffee and coffee substitutes. Levels in these foods, however, are typically lower than those found in potato chips and French fries.
• People in Canada are also exposed to acrylamide from its presence in cigarette smoke.
• Intake from environmental media such as drinking water or air, and use of consumer products is very low in comparison to intake from food or from smoking.

What are the results of the assessment

• The Government of Canada conducted a science-based evaluation of acrylamide, called a screening assessment.
• The Government concluded that acrylamide is harmful to human health.

What is the Government of Canada doing

• The Government has already taken several steps to address acrylamide in food. This updated risk management approach, which will help to reduce exposure to acrylamide from food sources, includes:
• Health Canada will press industry towards the development and implementation of acrylamide reduction strategies by food processors and the food service industry.
• Health Canada will regularly update and re-issue its consumption advice to consumers on how to limit their exposure to acrylamide from food sources, based on new scientific findings and monitoring data; and
• Health Canada will coordinate its risk management and risk communication efforts with key international food regulatory partners.
• The Government is proposing to include acrylamide as a prohibited or restricted ingredient on Health Canada's Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist. The Hotlist is used to communicate that certain substances may not be compliant with requirements of the Food and Drugs Act or the Cosmetic Regulations. Under Canadian legislation, cosmetics that contain substances that are harmful to the user cannot be sold.
• Acrylamide will also be added to the Environmental Emergency Regulations of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 due to its high-volume use, to make sure emergency preparedness and response requirements are in place.
• The risk management approach was published on August 22, 2009. It was followed by a 60-day comment period that ended October 21, 2009.
• Information on the risk management actions for acrylamide is available.

What should Canadians do

• More information on acrylamide in food is available on Health Canada's website: Acrylamide and Food – Questions and Answers.
• Cigarette smoke is also a significant source of acrylamide. People in Canada are reminded that they should not smoke. For more information about smoking and how to quit, please visit Go Smoke Free or speak with your doctor.