High Levels Of Acrylamide Research Articles

A survey on thermal processing contaminants occurrence in dark craft beers

Craft beers manufactured by small local breweries are becoming increasingly popular throughout the world due to their unique composition, taste and flavor. However, the ingredients used in brewing might lead to thermal processing contaminants in the final product. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the levels of acrylamide (AA), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD) in dark craft beers available in Poland and the Czech Republic. The samples were prepared using a modified QuEChERS method that had been optimized and validated in-house; they were then analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography with a diode array detector (HPLC-DAD). The results showed that PAHs were found in most of the analyzed beer samples. The total sum of PAHs ranged from 6.43 to 26.93 μg kg−1; the highest level of PAH4 content was 2.79 μg kg−1. Only three beer samples were free of any heavy PAHs. 3-MCPD and AA were also detected in all the beers, reaching levels of 14.0 μg kg−1 and 363 μg kg−1, respectively. The levels of 3-MCPD and AA were significantly higher in Polish beers than in beers from the Czech Republic. Higher amounts of 3-MCPD were found in beers containing roasted malt. A risk assessment was conducted for 3-MCPD and PAHs; it indicated that consumption of the examined beer samples should not cause any risk to human health. However, due to the high levels of acrylamide, regular consumption of dark beers poses a serious threat to human health and therefore should be strictly limited.

Do non-thermal pretreatments followed by intermediate-wave infrared drying affect toxicity, allergenicity, bioactives, functional groups, and flavor components of Ginkgo biloba seed? A case study

Fresh Ginkgo biloba L. seed (GBS) is allergenic and toxic when consumed even though it is rich in bioactives, thus, limiting its application. In this research, non-thermal pretreatments (ultrasound (US), ultrasound-assisted osmotic (USO), pulsed-vacuum osmotic (PVO), and osmotic (OS)) followed by infrared drying (ID) were applied. A comprehensive analysis of the toxicants (ginkgotoxin and ginkgolic acid), main bioactives (terpene trilactones (ginkgolide A, B, and C), flavonoids (quercetin, isorhamnetin and kaempferol)), antioxidants, and flavor profiles were evaluated. Results revealed that non-thermal pretreatments reduced the ginkgotoxin (3.94–6.24 fold) and ginkgolic acid (6–25 fold) contents to a level which were below the level likely to cause toxicity. Non-thermal pretreated GBS and the control (no pretreatment prior to infrared drying) results showed that the treatments used did not trigger high acrylamide levels and were in a safe range. Combining various pretreatments with ID displayed diverse effects on final products, and the principal component analysis attested to the findings. The control group (no pretreatment) recorded the highest toxic components (ginkgolic acid, ginkgotoxin, and acrylamide), terpene trilactones, and Maillard reaction products compared with various pretreatments. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis showed no alteration in the preliminary structure of GBS. Amongst the various pretreatments, PVO had the highest flavor intensities, while the US had the highest total phenolic content and antioxidant activities. Ultrasound treatments (US and USO) had the lowest concentrations for ginkgotoxin, ginkgolic acid and acrylamide, and flavonoids preservation. This shows ultrasound pretreatment before infrared drying can be used during the processing of ginkgo seeds.

Is Acrylamide really a food safety issue?

PurposeAcrylamide is a compound found in several food products. Due to the toxicity of this compound, research also seeks strategies to modify industrial and homemade processes, impacting on the reduction of the compound. This paper aims to discuss the aspects surrounding the presence of acrylamide in foods.Design/methodology/approachPublished literature on the presence of acrylamide in foods and on its effects has been reviewed. This paper explores the importance of this compound, summarizes the knowledge of its formation and gathers data on its incidence in food and the possibilities of mitigation. Special attention is given to an evaluation of the toxicological tests applied, to analyze whether acrylamide can be considered as a food safety problem.FindingsHuman exposure to food with high levels of acrylamide varies in their levels regarding the consumption of food in the diet and not only by the level of the compound present in them. Although the compound is well defined as toxic to humans, the association between its intake and most common cancers may not be directly related.Originality/valueDepending on the approach of the researchers, contradictory results are obtained, showing the importance of this topic to the development of healthy food products. Further research is still needed to validate the potential effects of acrylamide on human health.

Operational considerations for hot-washing in potato crisp manufacture

As part of an overall programme aimed at reducing the acrylamide content of crisps, this paper explores the impact of hot-washing on potato slice sugar concentration during industrial scale manufacture. We investigated cold-washing as an alternative to hot-washing, hot-wash residence time and temperature to optimise sugar removal and therefore reduce the potential for high acrylamide levels after frying. Due to the variable nature of potatoes, an extensive variability study was performed to determine confidence boundaries of results. It was found that the cold-wash unit removed on average 21% of the initial sugar content. In the hot-wash the current operational residence time of 3.5 min at 70 °C gave a sugar reduction of 27.5%, which could be increased to 48.5% if residence time is extended to 5 min. Hot-wash temperatures of 40 °C–60 °C were found to increase glucose and fructose content and therefore the potential for acrylamide formation. A “double cold-wash” was trialled and proved to be as successful as hot-washing at 70 °C for all but the highest sugar potatoes, challenging the current operational process and offering the potential for major energy savings.

Industrial Strategies to Reduce Acrylamide Formation in Californian-Style Green Ripe Olives.

Acrylamide, a compound identified as a probable carcinogen, is generated during the sterilization phase employed during the processing of Californian-style green ripe olives. It is possible to reduce the content of this toxic compound by applying different strategies during the processing of green ripe olives. The influence of different processing conditions on acrylamide content was studied in three olives varieties (“Manzanilla de Sevilla”, “Hojiblanca”, and “Manzanilla Cacereña”). Olives harvested during the yellow–green stage presented higher acrylamide concentrations than green olives. A significant reduction in acrylamide content was observed when olives were washed with water at 25 °C for 45 min (25% reduction) and for 2 h (45% reduction) prior to lye treatment. Stone olives had 21–26% higher acrylamide levels than pitted olives and 42–50% higher levels than sliced olives in the three studied varieties. When calcium chloride (CaCl2) was added to the brine and brine sodium chloride (NaCl) increased from 2% to 4%, olives presented higher concentrations of this contaminant. The addition of additives did not affect acrylamide levels when olives were canned without brine. Results from this study are very useful for the table olive industry to identify critical points in the production of Californian-style green ripe olives, thus, helping to control acrylamide formation in this foodstuff.

Evaluation of acrylamide levels in cereal products from the Romanian market during the 2017 and 2018 period

Abstract Cereal products are the most consumed in Romania being the main contributors to daily acrylamide exposure. The paper aims to present for the first time a general situation regarding the evolution of the acrylamide levels content from cereal products, on the Romanian market, during 2017-2018 periods, as a result of legislative measures imposed by the European Union (EU). For this purpose, the levels of acrylamide in 55 selected cereal products samples were evaluated. The cereal products analyzed were grouped in biscuits, confectionery, expanded cereals, bakery products and specialties. The acrylamide content from the cereal products were detected using GC-MS/MS method. The highest level of acrylamide was found in biscuits, whereas the lowest level was determined in bakery products. The most of the cereal products samples analyzed (90.9%) was below the reference levels established by the EU Regulation for the acrylamide level from 2017 EC (2013/647/EU) and 2018 EC (2017/2158/ EU). From the 55 cereal products analyzed, only 5 biscuits samples exceeded the reference levels established by the European Commission, one in 2017 and four in 2018 period.

Effect of Acrylamide Supplementation on the CART-, VAChT-, and nNOS-Immunoreactive Nervous Structures in the Porcine Stomach.

Simple SummaryThe progress of civilization has provided people with virtually unlimited access to food products. However, while the pace of life has increased, the consumption of products with high levels of acrylamide (e.g., chips, corn flakes or coffee) has also increased. The gastrointestinal tract is the first-exposure site for noxious substances ingested with food and it is also often the first defence mechanism. Changes in the expression of neuroactive substances in the intramural neurons of the enteric nervous system (ENS) are a common preclinical symptom of the harmful effect of pathological factors on the body. Using the double immunofluorescence staining method, it was established that supplementation with low and high doses of acrylamide resulted in alterations of the porcine stomach neuron phenotype, which was reflected in an increased number of the cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART)-, vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT)-, and neuronal isoform of nitric oxide synthase (nNOS)-immunoreactive neurons. The recorded changes revealed that even low doses of acrylamide influence the nervous structures located in the porcine gastric wall. This may result from the neurotoxicity of acrylamide or from the response of the ENS to acrylamide-induced inflammation and suggests an important role of the ENS in protecting the gastrointestinal tract during acrylamide intoxication.Acrylamide is found in food products manufactured with high-temperature processing, and exposure to acrylamide contained in food products may cause a potential risk to human health. The aim of this investigation was to demonstrate the changes in the population of CART-, nNOS-, and VAChT-immunoreactive enteric neurons in the porcine stomach in response to supplementation of low and high acrylamide doses. The study was carried out with 15 Danish landrace gilts divided into three experimental groups: the control group—animals were administered empty gelatine capsules; the low-dose group—animals were administrated a tolerable daily intake (TDI) dose (0.5 µg/kg of body weight (b.w.)/day) of acrylamide capsules, and the high-dose group—animals were administrated high-dose (ten times higher than TDI: 5 µg/kg b.w./day) acrylamide capsules for 28 days. Using the double immunofluorescence staining method, it was established that supplementation with low and high doses of acrylamide resulted in alterations of the porcine stomach neuron phenotype, which was reflected in an increased number of CART-, VAChT-, and nNOS-immunoreactive neurons. These changes were accompanied by an increased density of CART-, VAChT-, and nNOS-positive fibres. The results suggest that the enteric nervous system plays an important role in protecting the gastrointestinal tract during acrylamide intoxication.

Reduction of Acrylamide Formation In Potato Chips By Gamma Irradiation and Some Pretreatments Processing

This work aims to investigate the effect of gamma irradiation doses (0, 3, 5 and 7 kGy), soaking in citric acid (0.5 and 1%) and calcium chloride (CaCl2) (1 and 2 %) at 30 and 60 min on the formation of acrylamide in potato chips. The treated potato slices were fried at 185 ± 5oC for 6 -7 min in an electric fryer with palm oil. The untreated potato chips had higher acrylamide content than the treated potato chips. The highest level of acrylamide was found in the samples containing the highest reducing sugars; followed by those contained the moderate level of reducing sugars and the highest level of asparagine. The chemical composition of the chips was determined at zero time and after cold storage at 4 ±1oC for 30 and 60 days of potato tuber. Furthermore, changes were noted in the percentage of reducing sugars, asparagine content and acrylamide concentration after the cold storage periods. The results showed that the formation of acrylamide depend on the frying condition and chemical composition of the samples in particular on the sugar and asparagine content. Moreover, these results indicated that use of soaking in 2% calcium chloride and 1% citric acid for 60 min may reduce the formation of acrylamide. Meanwhile, irradiation dose at 5 kGy was the best dose for reducing acrylamide formation.

Effect of the brewing process on the acrylamide content in coffee beverages

AbstractOne of the latest neurotoxic and carcinogenic substances discovered in food is acrylamide (AA). The main pathway for AA formation in foods is the Maillard reaction (MR). Heat treated carbohydrate-rich foods such as potato, cereal and bakery products, together with coffee contain high levels of acrylamide. The high consumption of coffee in many countries makes it a potentially significant source of daily exposure to acrylamide. The purpose of the present investigation was to study the influence of the brewing method on the acrylamide level in coffee beverages. The experiment was performed with six different roasted coffee from local supermarkets. For coffee beverages preparation four different methods were used: boiled coffee (Turkish coffee), steeping (French press coffee), infusion (filtered coffee), and Italian pressure method (espresso coffee). Each time coffee beans were mechanically powdered and 100 ml brew was prepared using 6 g of ground coffee. AA contents in the brew coffee samples were determined by the RP - HPLC - DAD method. The results for AA contents were presented as mean values ± standard deviations (SDs) of six independent samples, analysed in triplicate (n = 18). Obtained results showed that the method of brewing coffee influences the level of AA in infusions. AA concentrations for Turkish coffee (4.10 μg/100 ml), French press (3.19 μg/100 ml) and filtered coffee (2.95 μg/100 ml) were higher than for espresso (2.13 μg/100 ml). Results showed also that the highly water-soluble acrylamide is easily extracted from the ground coffee to the liquid phase of the beverage. The extraction percentage variation according to the brew method was: from 52% for espresso to 95% for Turkish coffee. The brewing procedure for espresso extracted acrylamide incompletely from ground coffee comparing to other brewing methods, due to the short contact time between coffee and water. When compared with other common coffee beverages, espresso is the most concentrated brew. However, its acrylamide content per cup may be lower, due to the lower level of this substance extraction to the brew. The brewing time has a significant influence on the extraction level of AA for the beverage.

Ameliorative Effect of Lycopene on Acrylamide-Induced Hepatotoxicity in Adult Albino Rats

AbstractBackground: Acrylamide (ACR) is a chemical substance formed when starchy foods, such as potatoes and bread are cooked at high temperatures (above 120oC). It can be formed when foods fried and baked. High acrylamide levels have carcinogenic, genotoxic, neurotoxic and hepatotoxic effects on living organisms.Aim of Study: The present study designed to illustrate the biochemical and histopathological alterations of ACR on the liver of rats and the treatment of oxidative damage caused by acrylamide with the administration of a strong antioxidant, namely Lycopene (LYC), which is a naturally carotenoid pigment that is widely found in red foods such as tomato, watermelon, papaya, pink grape-fruit, pink guava and carrots.Material and Methods: Sixty rats were divided into five groups (negative control, positive solvent control, Lycopene (10mg/kg/day), acrylamide (25mg/kg/day), and acrylamide (25mg/kg/day) + Lycopene (10mg/kg/day)). Treatment was oral for 6 weeks. The biochemical and histopathological alterations of ACR on the liver of rats and ameliorative effect of lycopene on acrylamide-induced hepatotoxicity were ex-amined.Results: It was observed that acrylamide administration decreased serum reduced Glutathione (GSH) level when compared to the control group. On the contrary, it was also observed that Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels increased as a result of acrylamide administration. Histopatho-logical examinations of liver demonstrated dilated congested central vein and sinusoids, inflammatory cell infiltration, and hepatocellular necrosis in ACR group. Furthermore, ballooning degeneration was detected in hepatocytes. After Lycopene treatment, it was observed that GSH level increased while AST, ALT, and MDA levels decreased. All histopathological changes, were ameliorated when Lycopene was co-administered with acrylamide. Conclusion: In the present study, it was demonstrated that Lycopene ameliorates acryla-mide induced liver damage due to the strong antioxidant properties of Lycopene.

Quality Characteristics of Biscuits Prepared from Wheat Flour and Biscuit Scrap Powder

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of adding different levels of biscuit scrap to wheat flour on chemical, physical and rheological properties of biscuit. The proximate chemical composition of biscuit samples was not significantly (p≤0.05) affected by adding biscuit scrap. There was a significant increase in fat and calories of produced biscuit compared with control. The acrylamide levels in produced biscuits decreased by increasing biscuit scraps. The highest level of acrylamide was measured in control samples (294 µg/kg dry weight), while the lowest level of acrylamide was measured in biscuit prepared with adding 50 kg biscuit scrap (197 µg/kg dry weight). Physical and rheological properties were slightly affected by adding biscuit scrap. Thickness was increased from 0.4 cm in control to 0.48 cm in biscuits prepared with adding 50 kg scrap, meaning that prepared biscuits with more scrap was crispier than control biscuits. Data showed that the water absorption significantly increased with the increase of biscuit scrap powder. Biscuit scrap powder flour had slight effect on dough properties such as elasticity and extensibility. This work paves the way for manufacturers to use biscuit scrap safely in producing biscuits.

Effects of Dark Brown Sugar Replacing Sucrose and Calcium Carbonate, Chitosan, and Chitooligosaccharide Addition on Acrylamide and 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural Mitigation in Brown Sugar Cookies

The objective of this study was to evaluate effects of dark brown sugar on acrylamide and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) levels in brown sugar cookies. Dark brown sugar was used as a raw material instead of sucrose, and chitosan, chitooligosaccharides, or calcium carbonate were added to investigate their effect on acrylamide and HMF mitigation. The results demonstrated that the higher the content of acrylamide in the dark brown sugar, the higher the amount of acrylamide produced in baked brown sugar cookies. The addition of dark brown sugar significantly increased the diameter and decreased the thickness of cookies, which induced more acrylamide formation. Therefore, the sucrose control cookies were harder and thicker than dark brown sugar cookies. The addition of 1% chitosan, chitooligosaccharide, or calcium carbonate did not reduce the acrylamide formation of the brown sugar cookies. The content of acrylamide and HMF in the sucrose control group was lower than that in dark brown sugar groups, and chitooligosaccharide increased the level of HMF. This is due to the fact that the content of reducing sugar in dark brown sugar is higher than that in sucrose, and dark brown sugar contains acrylamide. There was no difference in the concentration of reducing sugar between test and control cookies (p > 0.05). The L values of brown sugar were lower than those of sucrose cookies, especially for chitooligosaccharide addition (p < 0.05). The addition of chitooligosaccharide generated more Maillard reaction products and caramelization. The reducing power of dark brown sugar cookies was higher than that of sucrose control cookies. The baking industry should choose sucrose or dark brown sugar containing a low acrylamide content as an ingredient to prevent the final products from containing high levels of acrylamide.

Effect of Temperature on Acrylamide in Potato (Solanum Tuberosum) Chips

In the recent past scientists in Britain, Sweden and South Africa have discovered that the process of cooking starchy foods under high temperatures produces acrylamide in those foods. Fried products including potato chips and crisps have been reported to contain high levels of acrylamide, a potential carcinogenic and neurotoxic substance of great concern to consumers. Samples were purposefully obtained from some retail outlets in Kisii County in the most visited hotels and retail centers. The effect of temperature was analysed using Time–temperature data which were acquired after every second using a digital multimeter and later analytically prepared before analysis to avoid contamination and also to ease the analytical procedure before they were injected to the High Performance Liquid Chromatography for analysis. Both descriptive and inferential statistical tests including analysis of variance (ANOVA) and least significant difference test (LSD) for the variables were carried out using the Statistical Analysis System (SAS) version 9.1.3.

Risk/benefit evaluation of traditional and novel formulations for snacking: Acrylamide and furfurals as process contaminants

Novel alternatives for snacking contain ingredients such as pseudo-cereals, roots or legumes, which offer health-related benefits to consumers. Alternative technological processes have been introduced within the snack industry that encompass valued sensorial characteristics and improve nutritional quality of the new formulations. However, the impact of the novel formulations on the exposure to process contaminants must also be carefully evaluated. The present study investigated the occurrence of acrylamide, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and furfural in novel formulations and compared this with that seen in traditional snacks. Some novel snacks presented high levels of acrylamide, specifically chips with a potato-based dough (1252–1393 μg/kg) and chips made from other vegetables (carrot chips: 958 μg/kg; beet chips: 908 μg/kg). These samples demonstrated concentrations that exceeded those observed in traditional snacks (44–671 μg/kg). The average values of HMF and furfural in the novel formulations were also significantly higher than traditional ones (approximately 2.5- and 3-fold, respectively). The snack manufacturing industry should consider the nutritional and sensorial improvements gained through the application of alternative technological process or the addition of health-promoting ingredients in the design of innovative snacks. This must be considered alongside toxicological aspects which reduce the content of process contaminants.

Method Development and Validation for the Quantification of Acrylamide in Potato Chips and Other Locally Available Food by LC-MS/MS in Bangladesh

A sensitive, precise, accurate and simple in house validated Liquid Chromatography and Tandem mass spectrometric (LC-MS/MS) analytical method was developed for the quantification of acrylamide in potato chips, a probable carcinogenic and neurotoxic compound in fried food items. Acrylamide was extracted and cleaned up by QuEChERS method, then analyzed by triple quadrupole mass spectrophotometer using positive electrospray-ionization mode and d3-Acrylamide internal standard. The analyte and internal standard were separated on a reversed-phase C18 column (100 × 2.0 mm, 2.5 μm) by gradient elution with water and methanol containing 0.1% formic acid as mobile phase. The analytical method was fully validated by assessment of linearity, specificity, precision, accuracy, selectivity and robustness with relative standard deviation of less than 4%. The calibration curves were found linear with correlation coefficient (r2) of 0.9997 over the concentration range 5 - 500 μg/L. The recoveries of Acrylamide in the concentration of 250, 400, and 500 μg/L were 97% to 104%. Based on the signal to noise ratio, the lower limit of detection (LOD) and lower limit of quantification (LOQ) were achieved 2.0 μg/L and 4.0 μg/L respectively. The proposed method was also applied to other available most popular 24 types of food (265 number of sample) first time in Bangladesh. The highest level of acrylamide has been found in fried products with the range of 197.04 μg/L to 114.63 μg/L, protein-rich food lies between 79.76 to 89.14 μg/L whereas baked food products exhibited less content in the range of 35.23 to 51.17 μg/L.

Acrylamide in cocoa: a survey of acrylamide levels in cocoa and cocoa products sourced from the German market

The aim of this project was to conduct a comprehensive monitoring of acrylamide in cocoa and chocolate products. Within the scope of this research work, we examined 94 semi-finished cocoa products (cocoa beans, nibs, powder, masses, and cocoa butter) and 269 cocoa and chocolate products (milk chocolates, chocolates, chocolates with additional ingredients, white chocolates, and cocoa-containing drink powders) for their respective acrylamide content levels. The range of acrylamide content levels determined came to < LOQ–490 µg kg−1 (LOQ, limit of quantification < 30 µg kg−1). Furthermore, our examinations showed that semi-finished cocoa products had higher acrylamide levels (mean value 190 µg kg−1), in the mean, than did cocoa and chocolate products (mean value 50 µg kg−1). In addition, it can be stated that all examined cocoa samples proved to have acrylamide levels distinctly below the general German signal value of 1000 µg kg−1. An individual German signal value or EU indicative value/benchmark for acrylamide content levels in cocoa and chocolate products is currently not available.

Evaluation of acrylamide reduction potential of l-asparaginase from Fusarium culmorum (ASP-87) in starchy products

Acrylamide, a potential carcinogen is formed when starchy foods are fried or baked above 120 °C. l-asparaginase is an enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolytic cleavage of the amino acid l-asparagine, the precursor for acrylamide, to l-aspartic acid and ammonia thereby reducing the acrylamide formation in starchy foods. The acrylamide levels in the starchy food products obtained from local market was estimated. The potential of l-asparaginase purified from Fusarium culmorum (ASP-87) to reduce acrylamide formation in potato chips and sweet bread were investigated. The results revealed that high levels of acrylamide ranging from 690 μg kg−1 to 4475 μg kg−1 were detected in the samples collected from local market. The potato chips and sweet bread samples treated with 300 U of l-asparaginase showed 85% and 78% reduction in l-asparagine content and the acrylamide levels of enzyme treated fried potato chips and baked bread reduced to 94% and 86% respectively, compared with the untreated control. Results of the study revealed that acrylamide was formed in starchy food products during frying and baking and l-asparaginase inhibited the formation of acrylamide making it a potential candidate in food processing industry to reduce acrylamide formation in starchy food products.

Effect of in vitro and in vivo acrylamide exposure on mouse oocytes

Acrylamide is a chemical that widely used in the treatment of wastewater, paper/pulp manufacturing, mining and scientific research. Processed foods such as roasted almonds, coated peanuts, dips, fried potato, biscuits, coffee, contain high levels of acrylamide. The consultation of the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization and the World Health Organization on “Health Implications of Acrylamide in Food”, indicated several important points such as; dietary habits in particular countries may lead to severe carcinogenic implications, as well as genotoxicity.

Determination of acrylamide levels in selected commercial and traditional foods in Syria

Purpose: To determine acrylamide (AA) levels in different brands of commercial and traditional foodstuffs available in Syria by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometery (UPLCMS).Methods: A total of 63 samples were analyzed. Food samples were defatted by hexane and then extracted with methanol 98 % in a vortex mixer. Thereafter, Carrez I and Carrez II were added to precipitate proteins from the co-extractives and then centrifuged to obtain a clear aqueous extract that was evaporated to dryness. The extract was dissolved in 1 mL of water, eluted through a preconditioned Oasis HLB cartridge and then filtered. The filtrate was analyzed by UPLC-MS/MS to determine AA content.Results: Among the commercial foods tested, the highest acrylamide quantity was found in potato products (396 ± 3.59 – 1844 ± 5.29 μg kg−1) and the lowest in corn products (183 ± 2.64 – 366 ± 4.58 μg kg−1). This was followed by biscuits (57 ± 2.64 – 1433 ± 2.51 μg kg−1), breakfast cereals (121 ± 8.73 – 245 ± 3.60 μg kg−1), bread (119 ± 1.73 – 263 ± 3.60 μg kg−1) and then coffee (113 ± 2.64 - 64 ± 3.05 μg kg−1). Regarding traditional foods, the highest level of AA was found in AL- Mshabak (481 ± 2.08 μg kg−1) and AL-Awamat (421 ± 2.64 μg kg−1) followed by AL-Namora (282 ± 4.35 μg kg−1) and AL-Kenafa (242 ± 2.64 μg kg−1). It was also observed that the lowest amount of AA was in fried bread (230 μg kg−1), AL-Fatayer (192 ± 3.51 μg kg−1) and AL-Baqlawa (172 ± 4.35 μg kg−1) while Eid Aqras (130 ± 4.58 μg kg−1) and AL-Brazeq (167 ± 3.78 μg kg−1) contained the least amount of AA.Conclusion: The results indicate that the highest levels of AA are found in the most commonly consumed foods. There was significant difference (p &lt; 0.05) in AA levels among different food items and within different brands of the same product.Keywords: Acrylamide, Commercial foods, Traditional foods, Syrian food, Contaminants, UPLCMS/MS

Dietary acrylamide intake during pregnancy and anthropometry at birth in the French EDEN mother-child cohort study

Background and aimAcrylamide is a contaminant formed in a wide variety of carbohydrate-containing foods during frying or baking at high temperatures. Recent studies have suggested reduced foetal growth after exposure to high levels of acrylamide during pregnancy. ObjectiveTo study the relationship between maternal dietary acrylamide intake during pregnancy and their offspring’s anthropometry at birth. DesignIn our population of 1471 mother-child pairs from two French cities, Nancy and Poitiers, dietary acrylamide intake during pregnancy was assessed by combining maternal food frequency questionnaires with data on food contamination at the national level, provided by the second “French Total Diet Study”. Newborns weighing less than the 10th percentile, according to a customised definition, were defined as small for gestational age (SGA). Linear and logistic regression models were used to study continuous and binary outcomes respectively, adjusting for the study centre, maternal age at delivery, height, education, parity, smoking during pregnancy, the newborn’s gestational age at birth and sex. ResultsThe median and interquartile range of dietary acrylamide intake were 19.2μg/day (IQR, 11.8;30.3). Each 10μg/day increase in acrylamide intake was associated with an odds-ratio for SGA of 1.11 (95% Confidence Interval: 1.03,1.21), birth length change of −0.05cm (95% CI: −0.11,0.00) and birth weight change of −9.8g (95% CI: −21.3,1.7). ConclusionsOur results, consistent with both experimental and epidemiological studies, add to the evidence of an effect of acrylamide exposure on the risk of SGA and suggest an effect on foetal growth, for both weight and length.