Dietary acrylamide exposure, time trends and the intake of relevant foods in children and adolescents between 1998 and 2004: Results of the DONALD study

Up to now, no data are available which document possible time trends in acrylamide exposure. Therefore, 3 day dietary records (n = 3494) from 704 children and adolescents in 5 age groups between 1 to 18 years from the DONALD Study were evaluated to estimate the potential dietary intake of acrylamide by age and time between 1998 and 2004, hereby including the time when acrylamide was in the focus of public interest in 2002/2003. Statistical data of the intake of 7 food groups (g/MJ) relevant for acrylamide exposure were combined with available data for ranges of acrylamide concentrations in more than 1 500 foods in Germany published in 2003. Scenarios were calculated assuming minimum, median and maximum acrylamide concentration in food groups. To analyse the influence of time (trend) on the outcome variables, mixed linear or non-linear models were used (PROC MIXED). Assuming median (minimum; maximum) acrylamide concentrations in foods and mean consumed food amounts, the calculated intake of acrylamide ranged from 0,19-0,45 (0,08-0,18; 0,91-2,04) μg/(kgbw*d) in the age-sex groups from 1 to <19 years. The highest intake was calculated for children aged 1-<7 years. The highest proportions of total intake of acrylamide came from bread (25%-47%), pastries (12%-39%), and potato products (3%-31%) and additionally commercial infant food in young children aged 1-<4 years. Significant time trends were found concerning the total food intake and acrylamide exposure mainly in the form of a decline after 2001/2002 in some age-sex groups. Only few time trends for single food groups were found. Our estimated data are in the range of reports from the literature for adolescents and adults in Germany and other European countries, but do not confirm that children and adolescents will have higher exposures to acrylamide than adults. However, new analytical data are necessary to evaluate time trends for food consumption together with potential time trends for acrylamide content of food. © Birkhäuser Verlag, 2006.