Chemical Hazard: Acrylamide

Chemical Hazard: Acrylamide

 

Acrylamide

 Acrylamide is a chemical that naturally forms in starchy food products during high-temperature cooking, including frying, baking, roasting and also industrial processing, at 120°C (248°F) and above, and at low moisture.

The main chemical process that causes this is known as the Maillard Reaction; it is the same reaction that ‘browns’ food and affects its taste.

Acrylamide forms from sugars and an amino acid (asparagine) during certain types of high-temperature cooking, such as frying, roasting, and baking (1, 2).

 Occurrence in Foods: Main sources of acrylamide in the diet includes potato products such as fried potatoes, chips and crisps.

Breakfast cereals, bread, biscuits and pastries. Roasted and ground coffee have all also been found to be sources.

Effects on Health: At high levels Acrylamide is a neurotoxin and exposure to these high levels may cause symptoms such as numbness in the hands and feet.

Studies have shown that acrylamide can be carcinogenic in animals (3-5). It may also adversely affect the nervous system, pre-and post-natal development and male reproduction.

Acrylamide caused cancer in animals in studies where animals were exposed to acrylamide at very high doses. In 2010, the Joint Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) concluded that acrylamide is a human health concern, and suggested additional long-term studies.

 Control Measures:

 Processing

Frying, Baking and Roasting at lower temperatures and for shorter times reduce the amount of browning of the product and reduce the amount of acrylamide produced. Some crisp manufacturers have altered frying times and temperature to help with this reduction.

Providing appropriate cooking instructions on frozen French fry packages to guide final preparation by consumers and food service operators may help reduce acrylamide.

Potato Products

Selecting potato varieties that are low in acrylamide precursors, keeping in mind seasonal variation, may help with reduction.

Using treatments to reduce sugar levels may help reduce acrylamide.

Cereal Based Products

Replacing ammonium bicarbonate in cookies and crackers with alternative leavening agents while avoiding overall increases in sodium levels may help to reduce acrylamide levels.

Coffee Products

Manufacturers should identify the critical roast conditions to ensure minimal acrylamide formation within the target flavour profile.

Acceptable Limits/Levels according to Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/2158)
Food	Benchmark Level [μg/kg]
French Fries (Ready to Eat)	500
Potato Crisps from fresh potatoes and from potato dough. Potato based crackers and other potato products from potato dough	750
Soft Bread • Wheat based bread • Soft bread other than wheat based bread	50 100
Breakfast Cereals (excluding porridge) • Bran products and whole grain cereals, gun puffed grain • Wheat and rye based products • Maize, oat, spelt, barley and rice based products	300 300 150
Biscuits and wafers Crackers with the exception of potato based crackers Crispbread Ginger Bread Products similar to the other products in this category	350 400   350 800 300
Roast Coffee	400
Instant Soluble coffee	850
Coffee Substitutes • Coffee substitutes exclusively from cereals • Coffee substitutes from a mixture of cereals and chicory • Coffee substitutes exclusively from chicory	500 (2) 4000
Baby foods, processed cereal based foods for infants and young children excluding biscuits and rusks	40
Biscuits and rusks for infants and young children	150

Reference

1.      Tareke E, Rydberg P, Karlsson P, Eriksson S, Tornqvist M. Analysis of acrylamide, a carcinogen formed in heated foodstuffs. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2002; 50(17):4998–5006.

2.      Mojska H, Gielecinska I, Szponar L. Acrylamide content in heat-treated carbohydrate-rich foods in Poland. Roczniki Panstwowego Zakladu Higieny 2007; 58(1):345–349.

3.      Fuhr U, Boettcher MI, Kinzig-Schippers M, et al. Toxicokinetics of acrylamide in humans after ingestion of a defined dose in a test meal to improve risk assessment for acrylamide carcinogenicity. Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention 2006; 15(2):266–271.

4.      Fennell TR, Friedman MA. Comparison of acrylamide metabolism in humans and rodents. Advances in experimental medicine and biology 2005; 561:109-116.

5.      Gargas ML, Kirman CR, Sweeney LM, Tardiff RG. Acrylamide: Consideration of species differences and nonlinear processes in estimating risk and safety for human ingestion. Food and chemical toxicology 2009; 47(4):760-768.