Chapter 23 - Processing Issues: Acrylamide, Furan and Trans Fatty Acids

Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of the factors affecting the formation of acrylamide, furan, and trans fatty acids in processed food and gives a perspective on the current tools that are being used to manage these chemical hazards. Processing plays an essential role in the modern world in providing a safe, palatable, nutritious, and consistent food supply. Despite these benefits, processing can result in the formation of chemical hazards such as the heat-produced toxicants, acrylamide and furan, and trans fatty acids, a product of hydrogenation of oils. All three compounds have been found to have adverse physiological effects in laboratory animals, and possibly humans. Acrylamide and furan are produced by chemical reactions responsible for the desirable flavor, aroma, and color of cooked foods. Trans fatty acids are generated during processes that improve the texture of oils and render them more stable to oxidative stresses. Changing processing conditions to minimize the formation of acrylamide, furan, and trans fatty acids can result in undesirable effects on food safety and quality. Regulatory agencies in collaboration with the food industry and academia have emphasized gathering more information on the mechanisms by which they are formed and the health consequences resulting from dietary exposure to these compounds. This information provides ways for managing these chemical hazards in food.