By Carol Barnao
As the regulator charged with ensuring the food New Zealanders eat is safe and suitable, it is always heartening when industry’s efforts to improve their foods pay off.
Just last month we released data from a new report on the level of acrylamide in commonly eaten foods, which shows that the concerted effort by New Zealand’s potato crisp manufacturers to lower acrylamide in their products is paying dividends.
Concentrations for potato crisps have significantly decreased to one-third (from 1,570 μg/kg to 581 μg/kg) since we conducted a similar survey in 2006 – an effort I applaud.
Acrylamide is a chemical that is produced naturally in foods by common cooking methods such as frying, roasting or baking at high temperatures, usually in excess of 120 degrees Celsius.
Understanding that potato products – like other foods high in starch – contribute significantly to people’s acrylamide exposure is not new, and because it has the potential to be a human health issue we monitor its presence in the food supply.
Having information about the acrylamide levels helps both regulators and manufacturers to monitor levels and implement strategies to reduce the risks associated with consumption of the chemical.
The recent survey found that the contribution of potato crisps to overall exposure appears to have decreased between 2006 and 2011, while the contribution from potato hot chips and oven baked/roasted potatoes appears to have increased slightly.
Food safety regulators are constantly looking at ways to improve the safety of our food supply in voluntary partnership with our food industry. That is why it is so encouraging to see that industry has stepped up and addressed this issue without the need for regulation.
Although mean estimates of dietary acrylamide exposure are towards the upper end of the range of acceptability derived internationally, they are not associated with food safety concerns.
However, it’s wise – as these manufacturers have done – to reduce exposures and increase the margin of safety.
The full report is available on our website at www.foodsafety.govt.nz/elibrary/industry/acrylamide-in-nz-foodupdated-exposure-assessment.pdf
Information on reducing levels of acrylamide is available to industry, in particular the FoodDrinkEurope toolkit and the WHO/FAO Codex code of practice on the reduction of acrylamide in food. These are valuable resources particularly for anyone producing roasted or fried potato products, bread, bakery and cereal.
To finish, I want to touch on MAF’s new name: The Ministry for Primary Industries, Manatü Ahu Matua (MPI), which came into effect on 30 April 2012. The name was changed to reflect the new functions of the organisation following its merger with the New Zealand Food Safety Authority and Ministry of Fisheries.
MPI encompasses the Ministry’s work across the agricultural, horticultural, seafood, forestry, and food sectors.
As the gateway to government for all of New Zealand’s primary industries, Ministry of Primary Industries feels like a good fit.
