Dietary exposure of acrylamide from the fifth Chinese Total Diet Study

- The samples analyzed were collected from 20 provinces, covering 2/3 of Chinese population.
- The mean exposure of acrylamide for Chinese population was lower than international level.
- An increase of average dietary intakes of acrylamide was observed in China.
- The MOE values obtained still indicated a potential health risk.

The levels of acrylamide in 240 food composite samples from the 5th Chinese Total Diet Study (TDS) were measured using an LC-MS/MS method and the exposure estimates for the general population were evaluated. The samples were collected from 20 provinces in China, covering about two thirds of the Chinese population. Acrylamide was detected in 40.0% of composite samples with the concentrations ranged from 0.8 to 211.8 μg/kg. The average dietary intakes from the 5th Chinese TDS were 0.319 μg kg−1 bw day−1 and an increase with about 70% was observed from the 3rd Chinese TDS in 2000 to the 5th Chinese TDS between 2009 and 2012. The main food group contributors to acrylamide exposure were vegetables (35.2%), cereals (34.3%) and potatoes (15.7%). Based on the benchmark dose lower confidence limit at 10% risk (BMDL10) of 0.31 mg kg−1 bw day−1 for the induction of mammary tumors in rats and 0.18 mg kg−1 bw day−1 for Harderian gland tumors in mice, the margins of exposure (MOEs) were 973 and 565 for Chinese general population, respectively. These MOEs indicate a human health concern.