03/11/10 - On February 26, 2010, California's Office of Environmental Health and Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) issued a notice of intent (NOI) to list acrylamide as a reproductive or developmental toxicant under Proposition 65. OEHHA is also proposing a maximum allowable dose level (MALD) of 140 micrograms per day. The chemical, which forms naturally in starchy foods when cooked at high temperatures by a process called the Maillard reaction, has already been listed by OEHHA as a carcinogen with a no significant risk level of 10 micrograms per day.

The new listing will not affect the litigation concerning the presence of acrylamide in snack foods and cereals [see AG, EWW File New Round of Acrylamide Cases, August 2009].

Comments on the proposed listing and MADL are due Tuesday, April 27. Contact Susan Luong at sluong@oehha.ca.gov. [Sources: OEHHA and foodnavigator-usa.com]