Dietary patterns and exposure to acrylamide using data from the UK Women's Cohort Study

Abstract

specific dietary patterns which were derived from the analysis of food frequency questionnaire data collected at the study baseline. Using dietary data from 35 372 cohort participants, the mean intake of AA was estimated as 0.253 mg/kg/d (95% CI 0.252, 0.255). This is less than the safe recommended level of 1 mg/kg/d. The most important source of acrylamide in the UKWCS study was potato chips, which contributed an average of 29 % to total exposure. The other main food sources of acrylamide were bakery goods (17.5%) and potato crisps (15.7 %). Older women, those who smoked and women with lower education levels had a higher average mean intake of acrylamide from dietary sources. Meat eaters had higher average acrylamide intakes than vegetarians, fish and poultry eaters. Lower acrylamide intakes were found with increasing WHO healthy eating index and Mediterranean diet scores. The sources of acrylamide varied by dietary pattern group with the healthier WHO scores are obtaining less acrylamide from potato crisps and more from crispbread. This descriptive study of acrylamide intake has shown that although the mean intake of AA in this cohort is less than the tolerable daily intake there are significant differences of intake within this population. The public-health messages regarding which foods to reduce the intake of in order to decrease acrylamide intake should be specific for people with different dietary patterns within the UK.