Drugs In Our Food: Want Some Fries With That

Where does it stop and will it? Health Canada now has a proposal to amend the Food and Drug Regulations to allow the enzyme asparaginase to be used in, or in the manufacture of, various standardized and unstandardised foods. These foods include: Bread, flour, whole wheat flour and other flours, French fries, potato chips and potato-based products, reaction flavors, and unstandardised cereal-based products such as cakes, biscuits, cookies and processed breakfast cereals.

The enzyme asparaginase is a cancer drug. It is used to treat acute lymphocytic leukemia, lymphoma as it interferes with the growth of cancer cells and has been reported to slow the growth and spread of the cells in the body. Asparaginase is also known to be a very high toxic solution and powder that must be handled with care. According to Health Canada, this new substance to the aforementioned foods above will not raise any health issues or concerns.

Why add this to our food? When certain starchy foods are heated (fried or baked) at high temperatures, acrylamide forms. The highest amount of acrylamide are found in french fries. Studies in mice suggest that acrylamide may cause cancer, but there is less evidence in human studies. None the less, Health Canada is proposing amendments to the Regulations to allow asparaginase (a drug) to be used in the manufacture of bread, flour, whole wheat flour, and unstandardised foods as a health benefit to reduce acrylamide formation. Do you want some fries with that? Click here for the full report by Health Canada and feel free to add your comments.

Source: Health Canada