Acrylamide (or acrylic amide) is a potentially dangerous chemical compound with the chemical formula C₃H₅NO. Its IUPAC name is 2-propenamide. It is a white odourless crystalline solid, soluble in water, ethanol, ether and chloroform. Acrylamide is incompatible with acids, bases, oxidizing agents, iron and iron salts. It decomposes non-thermally to form ammonia, and thermal decomposition produces carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and oxides of nitrogen. Acrylamide is prepared on an industrial scale by the hydrolysis of acrylonitrile by nitrile hydratase. Most acrylamide is used to synthesize polyacrylamides, which find many uses as water-soluble thickeners. These include use in wastewater treatment, gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), papermaking, ore processing, and the manufacture of permanent press fabrics. Some acrylamide is used in the manufacture of dyes and the manufacture of other monomers. Acrylamide also occurs in many cooked starchy foods. Acrylamide was accidentally discovered in foods in April 2002 by scientists in Sweden when they found the chemical in starchy foods, such as potato chips, French fries and bread that had been heated (production of acrylamide in the heating process was shown to be temperature-dependent). It was not found in food that had been boiled nor in foods that were not heated. In December 2009, after a positive reception from the food industry, Health Canada invited comment from the public on this proposal.

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