Addendum on August 18, 2013: Please note that there is more recent data on acrylamide content in common foods - you can view some of this data here: What About Acrylamide In Coffee?

In July of 2006, the United States Food and Drug Administration released the results of its latest research on the acrylamide content of common foods.

The top 20 foods by average acrylamide intake by the U.S. population are as follows:

French Fries (made in restaurants) French Fries (oven baked) Potato Chips Breakfast Cereals Cookies Brewed Coffee Toast Pies and Cakes Crackers Soft Bread Chile con Carne Corn Snacks Popcorn Pretzels Pizza Burrito/Tostada Peanut Butter Breaded Chicken Bagels Soup Mix

Acrylamide has been shown to cause cancer in animals. Exposure to large doses of acrylamide has also been shown to cause neurological damage in humans.

Acrylamide tends to form when foods that are high in carbohydrates and/or an amino acid called asparagine are cooked at high temperatures. Cooking methods that tend to require high temperatures - like frying, roasting, and baking - are more likely to cause acrylamide formation in food. Non-cooked and boiled foods almost never contain detectable levels of acrylamide.

The top two food groups listed above - French fries and potato chips - are two of the most damaging foods to human health. Despite the creation of "healthy" varieties of French fries and potato chips like New York Fries - Fried in 100% Non-Hydrogenated Sunflower Oil and Trader Joe's Veggie Chips Potato Snacks, it's important to know that all French fries and potato chips that have been deep-fried in oil are heavily laced with acrylamide and pose a significant threat to one's health.

What follows is the most recent survey data on acrylamide in food by the U.S. FDA.