Estimation of the dietary intake of acrylamide by German infants, children and adolescents as calculated from dietary records and available data on acrylamide levels in food groups

Dietary intakes of acrylamide for the general population were estimated by FAO/WHO to be in the range of 0.3 to 0.8 microg/(kg(bw) *d). It was supposed that children and adolescents would generally have intakes twice to three times higher than adults. However, relevant data is rare. Therefore, 3- or 7-day dietary records (n = 2956) from infants, children and adolescents aged 0.5 to 18 years from the DONALD study (2001) and other studies (RUB studies) were evaluated to estimate the potential dietary intake of acrylamide. Statistical data of the intake of 6 food groups relevant for acrylamide exposure were combined with available data for ranges of acrylamide concentrations in more than 1500 foods in Germany. Scenarios were calculated assuming minimum, median and maximum acrylamide concentration in food groups. Assuming median (minimum; maximum) acrylamide concentrations in foods and mean consumed food amounts, the calculated intake of acrylamide ranged from 0.21-0.43 (0.12-0.19; 0.98-1.79) microg/(kg(bw) *d) between the age groups from <1 to <19 years in the DONALD study and was 0.61 (0.21; 2.58) microg/(kg(bw) *d) from 1 to <7 years in the RUB studies. The highest intake was calculated for children aged 1-<7 years. The highest proportions of total intake of acrylamide came from the intake of commercial baby food (86-91%) in infants, and bread (18-46%), pastries (16-35%), and potato products (7-35%) in children and adolescents, depending on scenario and age. Our estimated data are in the range of reports from the literature for adolescents and adults in Germany and other European countries and lower than reports for infants. Our results do not confirm that children and adolescents will have higher exposures to acrylamide than adults. Practical suggestions to lower the risk of acrylamide exposure by food without decreasing the quality of the nutrition in the diet are given.