Concerns have been expressed over coffee’s link to cancer due to the presence of acrylamide, a compound formed when foods are heated at high temperatures during cooking processes such as roasting. Although found in various food items and can even occur naturally due to roasting processes, coffee does contain small quantities of this chemical compound which has been known to develop through time.

Acrylamide can be found both organic and non-organic food sources, but according to a recent study organic coffee produced has lower concentrations of it due to less thermal processing during its production process.

What is Acrylamide?

Acrylamide is a byproduct of many cooking processes and can be found in food such as french fries, potato chips and baked bread. Animal tests have demonstrated its carcinogenicity; too much intake could potentially lead to cancerous cells being produced. Unfortunately, many are concerned that too much acrylamide production occurs in their coffee because this beverage is one of their favorite beverages; however, don’t fret too much because there are ways you can minimize its production!

If you want to decrease the amount of acrylamide that you consume, the best way is to limit consumption of high-carbohydrate foods like potatoes (including french fries and potato chips), bread and breakfast cereals. Instead, switch up your diet with more fruits and vegetables while drinking less coffee; and if necessary cook them at lower temperatures without overcooking.

Remember, acrylamide only forms when foods have been cooked at high temperatures; it does not exist in raw plant-based foods or those cooked using steaming or boiling, nor in foods from natural sources like nuts. All studies conducted regarding food levels of acrylamide indicate that an average diet contains very minimal levels.

Estimates suggest that an average American consumes around one gram of acrylamide daily – this figure is significantly less than what is found in cereal or french fries, with regular coffee boasting 7.8 micrograms compared with 15 times less for cereal and 77 times less than french fries.

Furthermore, it should be noted that the level of acrylamide found in your cup of coffee depends on how long and at what temperature the beans are roasted – peak levels occurring early on will decline over time as more time passes during roasting.

How is Acrylamide produced?

Acrylamide is an organic byproduct of certain food reactions heated at high temperatures, such as the Maillard reaction that happens in french fries, potato chips and bread products. Acrylamide can also be found in some beverages like coffee, cocoa and toasted nuts; its primary concern being carcinogenicity in laboratory animals.

At least, our food choices usually cause only minimal exposure to acrylamide. The main sources include processed foods like potatoes (French fries and potato chips), bakery and cereal products such as bread, crackers, cookies and cakes, coffee cocoa beverages and toasted nuts (Table 23.2). Their contribution varies by country depending on dietary composition and food preparation methods (CAST 2006).

Food that has been cooked or fried at higher temperatures tends to contain more acrylamide, so it is wise to consume a variety of nutritious foods rather than opting for fast food, which tends to have higher concentrations of acrylamide.

Coffee’s level of acrylamide production depends on how its beans are roasted and stored; light-roasted coffee typically has higher acrylamide levels while dark-roasted has the lowest. Still, one should keep in mind that any amount of acrylamide present in one cup of coffee is very minimal — roughly 15 times less than what would be found in french fries or 77 times lower than instant coffee re-heat.

Independent coffee shops must understand how to avoid acrylamide during their roasting process in order to minimize its formation. By carefully choosing their roasting temperature and limiting over-roasting, they can lower acrylamide formation. At Purity Coffee we utilize a smokeless roasting method which not only avoids potentially hazardous PAHs but also ensures our coffee contains as little acrylamide as possible.

What is the health risk of Acrylamide?

Contrary to what some may fear, acrylamide does not pose any significant threat to human health when consumed in small amounts. It can be found in many foods and produced when starchy ingredients like potatoes, grains and bread are heated at high temperatures before being fried, roasted or baked.

However, it should be noted that non-starchy foods such as coffee beans and vegetables also produce acrylamide during their preparation; however, their levels tend to be considerably lower than those produced when cooking starchy foods like fries, roasts or bakes are consumed.

The FDA has determined that small doses of acrylamide do not pose a health risk to humans when consumed as food products such as fries, chips, crackers and bread from food manufacturers as well as beverages from brewers’ beer, wine and coffee are produced using it. They have taken measures to decrease its level in certain products while working with coffee roasters on finding ways to further lower its levels.

Acrylamide formation in food depends on many variables, including ingredient type and quantity used, cooking methods employed, temperature and storage conditions. Although commonly associated with fried, roasted or baked products, acrylamide can also form when boiling and steaming foods.

Some companies have managed to reduce acrylamide in their products by changing their cooking processes or adding different ingredients, though in most cases this approach would compromise flavor or quality of final product.

Some acrylamide is produced naturally by plants through photosynthesis. While this may cause some people concern, most researchers believe that naturally occurring amounts in foods do not pose significant health risks and are much lower than what can be found in processed products like potato chips or french fries.

What is the health risk of consuming Acrylamide?

Note that while acrylamide has been demonstrated to cause various health issues in laboratory animals, its impact on humans remains uncertain. Most human studies examining whether there are any risks posed by acrylamide to health have come up short; Cancer Research UK advises limiting high-acrylamide foods (such as potato chips and crisps) for a more balanced diet.

Roasting and brewing coffee beans produces minimal levels of acrylamide. One cup of brewed coffee contains around 7.8 micrograms of acrylamide; that is significantly less than what’s present in cereal or French fries and considered safe to consume. Therefore, coffee should be considered an acetaminophen-free food choice.

Clean Label Project, a Denver-based non-profit dedicated to health and transparency in food labeling, conducted a recent study that tested nine popular off-the-shelf coffee brands for levels of acrylamide. Brews were evaluated by Ellipse Analytics – a third-party analytical chemistry laboratory. Results demonstrated that all nine coffee brands tested contained undetectable amounts of acrylamide; among these brands are Starbucks, Peet’s, Dunkin’ Donuts and Caribou among others.

It was once believed that coffee would contain acrylamide due to Maillard reactions and thermal processes during roasting of beans, such as Maillard reaction or thermal processes used during roasting of beans. California law required coffee companies to include cancer warning labels because trace amounts of this chemical could be found in their product, however in 2020, the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) determined that coffee does not pose serious health risks and removed this requirement for cancer warning labels on products containing trace amounts of this chemical in brewed coffee products.

Though it is wise to limit how often fried and baked goods are eaten, there are ways you can lower acrylamide levels through cooking methods and temperature reduction. Soaking potatoes before frying or roasting may help avoid creating acrylamide levels while keeping foods stored in your fridge until cooking can help further minimize them.