Acrylamide

Acrylamide (or acrylic amide) is an organic compound with the chemical formula CH₂=CHC(O)NH₂. It is a white odorless solid, soluble in water and several organic solvents. It is produced industrially as a precursor to polyacrylamides, which find many uses as water-soluble thickeners and flocculation agents. It is highly toxic, likely to be carcinogenic, and partly for that reason it is mainly handled as an aqueous solution.

The discovery in 2002 that some cooked foods contain acrylamide attracted significant attention to its possible biological effects. As of 2019, epidemiological studies suggest it is unlikely that dietary acrylamide consumption increases people's risk of developing cancer despite its being a probable carcinogen according to IARC, NTP, and the EPA