In October 1997, cows and fish on the Swedish Bjare peninsula suddenly started dying. The cause was eventually discovered – construction workers had been pumping sealant into holes in a nearby railway tunnel which contaminated the water with acrylamide. Not only did this kill those cows and fish, it is a proven carcinogen for animals – and a probable carcinogen for humans.
The problem with acrylamide is that it is found in many of the foods that we eat, especially starchy food with higher levels of asparagine such as crisps, chips, toast, cakes, and biscuits. One other place where people might not think acrylamide resides is in cooking oil.
