The acrylamide intake via some common baby food for children in Sweden during their first year of life--an improved method for analysis of acrylamide.

The acrylamide levels in breast milk and the main categories of Swedish baby food products, i.e. breast milk substitute (infant formula), gruel, porridge and canned baby food, have been analysed. Furthermore, the acrylamide intake from these products by children up to one year of age has been estimated. Other kind of foods e.g. biscuits, are not included. Because of the expected low concentrations of acrylamide, a new sample extraction method for detection by liquid chromatography, tandem mass spectrometry, was developed and validated. The lower limit of quantification was 0.5 microg kg(-1) for liquid samples and 2 microg kg(-1) for other samples. The average levels found for gruel, porridge and canned baby food, all ready to eat, were 1.4, 26, and 7.8 microg/kg respectively. We found great variations in the acrylamide levels between and in different food categories, <0.5-64 microg/kg. For all breast milk samples except one the acrylamide level was below the limit of quantification (0.5 microg/kg). In three out of eight analysed samples of breast milk substitute, the acrylamide content was verified and possible to quantify. Assuming an acrylamide level of 0.25 microg/kg in breast milk, the mean acrylamide intake during the first six months for children who were exclusively breast-fed was estimated to be 0.04 microg/kg b.w./day. The mean acrylamide intake from breast milk and commercially made baby food during the whole first year varies due to the length of breast-feeding and the choice of baby food. The intake level range was estimated to be 0.04-1.2 microg/kg b.w/day. The mean intake between seven and twelve months of age was estimated to be about 0.5 microg/kg b.w./day.