Is Acrylamide safe for babies and kids?
High risk for kidsInfants may be exposed to Acrylamide through residual monomer migration from food-contact plastics, bottles, and packaging. Immature hepatic conjugation and renal clearance prolong internal exposure.
What is acrylamide?
The IUPAC name is prop-2-enamide.
Also known as: prop-2-enamide, 2-Propenamide, Propenamide, Acrylic acid amide.
- IUPAC name
- prop-2-enamide
- CAS number
- 79-06-1
- Molecular formula
- C3H5NO
- Molecular weight
- 71.08 g/mol
- SMILES
- C=CC(=O)N
- PubChem CID
- 6579
Risk for babies
High riskInfants may be exposed to Acrylamide through residual monomer migration from food-contact plastics, bottles, and packaging. Immature hepatic conjugation and renal clearance prolong internal exposure.
Neonates and infants up to 12 months have incomplete blood-brain barrier development, immature Phase I/II metabolic enzymes (particularly CYP3A4, UGT1A1), and higher gastrointestinal permeability. Equivalent doses produce higher internal concentrations and longer residence times.
Risk for pregnant and nursing people
Moderate riskCrosses placenta; animal developmental toxicity.
Regulatory consensus
32 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Acrylamide. The classifications differ — that's the data.
| Agency | Year | Classification | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| IARC | 2018 | Group 2A (probably carcinogenic to humans) | Kidney, endometrial, ovarian cancer signals; Monograph 60 supplement |
| US EPA | 2010 | Likely to be carcinogenic to humans | IRIS; multi-site tumors in animals; dietary exposure |
| EPA CTX / NIOSH | — | potential occupational carcinogen | |
| EPA CTX / IRIS | — | Likely to be carcinogenic to humans | |
| EPA CTX / NTP RoC | — | Reasonably Anticipated to be a Human Carcinogen | |
| EPA CTX / IARC | — | Group 2A - Probably carcinogenic to humans | |
| EPA CTX / EPA OPP | — | Group B2 Probable Human Carcinogen | |
| EPA CTX / CalEPA | — | Known human carcinogen | |
| EPA CTX / Genetox | — | Genotoxicity: positive (Ames: positive, 6 positive / 5 negative reports) | |
| EPA CTX / Genetox | — | Genotoxicity: positive (Ames: positive, 6 positive / 5 negative reports) | |
| EPA CTX / Skin-Eye | — | Eye Irritation: Eye Irrit. 2 (score: high) | |
| EPA CTX / Skin-Eye | — | Skin Irritation: Skin Irrit. 2 (score: high) | |
| EPA CTX / Skin-Eye | — | Skin Sensitization: Skin Sens. 1 (score: high) | |
| EPA CTX / Skin-Eye | — | Skin Sensitization: Sh (score: high) | |
| EPA CTX / Skin-Eye | — | Eye Irritation: Eye irritation - category 2A (score: high) | |
| EPA CTX / Skin-Eye | — | Skin Irritation: Skin irritation - category 2 (score: high) | |
| EPA CTX / Skin-Eye | — | Skin Sensitization: Skin sensitisation - category 1 (score: high) | |
| EPA CTX / Skin-Eye | — | Eye Irritation: Serious eye damage/eye irritation - Category 2 (score: high) | |
| EPA CTX / Skin-Eye | — | Skin Sensitization: Skin sensitization - Category 1 (score: high) | |
| EPA CTX / Skin-Eye | — | Eye Irritation: Category 2A (score: high) | |
| EPA CTX / Skin-Eye | — | Skin Irritation: Not classified (score: low) | |
| EPA CTX / Skin-Eye | — | Skin Sensitization: Category 1 (score: high) | |
| EPA CTX / Skin-Eye | — | Eye Irritation: Eye Irrit. 2 (score: high) | |
| EPA CTX / Skin-Eye | — | Skin Irritation: Skin Irrit. 2 (score: high) | |
| EPA CTX / Skin-Eye | — | Skin Sensitization: Skin Sens. 1 (score: high) | |
| EPA CTX / Skin-Eye | — | Skin Irritation: Category 6.3B (Category 3) (score: moderate) | |
| EPA CTX / Skin-Eye | — | Skin Sensitization: Category 6.5B (Category 1) (score: moderate) | |
| EPA CTX / Skin-Eye | — | Eye Irritation: Category 6.4A (Category 2A) (score: high) | |
| EPA CTX / Skin-Eye | — | Skin Irritation: Category 6.3A (Category 2) (score: high) | |
| EPA CTX / Skin-Eye | — | skin irritation: in vivo: Studies Indicate No Significant Irritation (score: low) | |
| EPA CTX / Skin-Eye | — | eye irritation: in vivo: Severe Irritation (score: high) | |
| EPA CTX / Skin-Eye | — | skin sensitisation: in vivo (non-LLNA): High Frequency of Sensitization (score: high) |
Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.
Where kids encounter acrylamide
- Industrial Facilities — Manufacturing plants, Chemical storage areas, Waste treatment sites
- Occupational Environments — Factories, Warehouses, Transportation vehicles
Safer alternatives
Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Acrylamide:
-
Bio-based polymer alternatives where available
Trade-offs: Performance limitations. End-of-life complexity.Relative cost: 2-5×
Frequently asked questions
Is acrylamide safe for kids?
Infants may be exposed to Acrylamide through residual monomer migration from food-contact plastics, bottles, and packaging. Immature hepatic conjugation and renal clearance prolong internal exposure.
What products contain acrylamide?
Acrylamide appears in: Manufacturing plants (Industrial facilities); Chemical storage areas (Industrial facilities); Factories (Occupational environments); Warehouses (Occupational environments).
What should I do if my child is exposed to acrylamide?
Minimize infant exposure through source control. For breastfeeding mothers: reduce maternal exposure. For formula-fed infants: use certified low-migration bottles and verified water sources. Consult pediatrician regarding any concerns.
Why do regulators disagree about acrylamide?
Acrylamide has been classified by 32 agencies including IARC, US EPA, EPA CTX / NIOSH, EPA CTX / IRIS, EPA CTX / NTP RoC, with differing conclusions. Regulators apply different standards of evidence (animal data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds), which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. See the regulatory consensus table on this page for the full picture.
See Acrylamide in the baby app
Look up products containing acrylamide, compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.
Open in baby View raw API dataSources (2)
- IARC Monographs Volume 60 / 2018 Supplement: Acrylamide (2018) — regulatory
- US EPA IRIS Assessment: Acrylamide (2010) — regulatory
Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →