A Review of Acrylamide Concentrations in Different Food Products; Associated Risks and Mitigation Strategies

Abstract

Acrylamide is a colorless, crystalline solid, soluble in water with Low but significant volatility having a molecular weight of 71.08 g/mol. It is known to be neurotoxic in both animals and humans, and has been classified as “probably carcinogenic to humans. The occurrence of acrylamide is first reported by scientists from the Swedish National Food Authority and the University of Stockholm in April 2002, and then after many scientists have done different research on the occurrence of acrylamide in different processed foods. Different researches indicated that most heat processed foods are an important source of acrylamide. Acrylamide is formed in a wide variety of foods, particularly carbohydrate rich foods cooked at above 120°C upon frying, baking and roasting. Although high temperature food processing such as frying, roasting, or baking, is most likely to cause acrylamide formation; boiling and steaming do not normally form acrylamide. According to the recent available research results on acrylamide content of foods the highest levels of acrylamide is reported in coffee substitutes and fried potato products with max 5400µg/kg and 4126.26µg/kg respectively. High temperature and longtime processing has direct influence on acrylamide formation in processed foods. Animal studies revealed that acrylamide adversely affects fertility, and has the potential to induce heritable damage at gene and chromosome level. A better understanding about acrylamide impacts on human health can guide to the development of enhanced food processes to reduce the acrylamide content of the diet. Efforts to decrease the creation of acrylamide in different foods have resulted in some achievements; however there is no universal approach that works for all foods. Though it may possible in some foods to reduce acrlymide, in some foods is maybe not possible. This paper is therefore aimed to review the concentration of acrylamide in different processed food products, associated risks of their consumption and mitigation strategies.