AcrylamideAcrylamideThermally induced harmful Thermally induced harmful

chemicalchemical

Advanced Food ChemistryFood Engineering Master Program

İstanbul Aydın Üniversitesi

Background - 1950 industrial chemical used for water treatment, paper industry, glues, flocculants, synthetis of dyes

- 2002 discovered in Sweden in starchy foods (production Temperature dependent) so not found in boiled or not heated food

- 2009 Health Canada assesses whether acrylamide is a hazard to human health and whether any regulatory action needs to be taken.

- 2010 EChA added acrylamide to the list of substances of very high concern

Drops of chemistry

Synthesized for the first time in 1949

Unsaturated and highly reactive amide

White odorless crystalline solid

Soluble in water, ethanol, ether and chloroform

IUPAC Prop-2-enamide

Raw formula C3H5NO3

Melting point 84.5 °C

Boiling point 136°C

EU classification:

Toxic (T)

Carc. Cat. 2

Muta. Cat. 2

ROUTES OF EXPOSUREROUTES OF EXPOSURE: The substance can be absorbed into the body by inhalation, through the skin and by ingestion.

INHALATION RISKINHALATION RISK: Evaporation at 20°C is negligible; a harmful concentration of airborne particles can, however, be reached quickly.

EFFECTS OF SHORT-TERM EXPOSUREEFFECTS OF SHORT-TERM EXPOSURE: irritating the eyes, the skin and the respiratory tract. The substance may cause effects on the central nervous system.

EFFECTS OF LONG-TERM OR REPEATED EXPOSUREEFFECTS OF LONG-TERM OR REPEATED EXPOSURE: effects on the nervous system, resulting in peripheral nerve damage. This substance is probably carcinogenic to humans. May cause heritable genetic damage in humans.

Formation in food

ReactionReaction bw reducing sugars and Asparagine in the context of the Maillard Reaction (browning).

Thermal inputThermal input (temperature & heating time) frying, roasting or baking generally at + 120°C

Top Eight FoodTop Eight Food: french fries (oil fried and oven baked), breakfast cereals, potato chips, cookies, coffee, toasted bread, pies and cakes

Acrylamide is a result of the Maillard reaction

A reaction occurs between the carbohydrates (sugar) and proteins and is responsible for changes in color, flavor and nutritive in food.

It has been confirmed that asparagine is the main amino acid responsible for its formation.

Available evidence suggests that sugars and other carbonyl compounds play a specific role in the decarboxylation process of asparagine

Neurotoxicity in humans is well known from occupational and accidental exposures

Experimental studies in animals have shown reproductive, genotoxic and carcinogenic properties

IARC classified chemical as “probably carcinogenic to humans (Group 2A)”

Relative levels of acrylamide in the diet are higher than many other known carcinogens

Regarded as a genotoxic carcinogen - a safe level of exposure cannot be established

Why being worried?

Process contaminant

Acrylamide in food?

Its presence in food was unknown prior to the Swedish report in 2002.

Found “by chance” when blood samples of exposed workers (miners) and an unexposed control group were compared and high levels of acrylamide were

found in both groups.

Effects of Acrylamide on people

Acrylamide is considered to be a mutagen and possibly a carcinogen in humans.

Case studies provided by National Cancer Institute some of

the cancers that are believed to be related to acrylamide are: oral cavity, pharynx, esophagus, larynx, kidney, breast, ovary.

Neurological damage has been associated to exposure of high levels of acrylamide in water treatment plants. There have been cases of human poisoning due to contaminated water in proximity to ground injection sites where acrylamide is disposed of.

What has been done?

Risks to consumers have been discussed by many international bodies (e.g. EFSA, FAO, WHO), EU committees and national authorities

Initiatives to reduce/prevent acrylamide formationCIAA Toolbox*CIAA Toolbox*

EU Acrylamide Workshops & Stakeholder meetings

EU InitiativesEU Monitoring Recommendation

EU Indicative ValuesEU Checklist

Eu monitoring programme

Monitoring of food groups known to be major contributorsPrincipal aim is to investigate if mitigation strategies (i.e. Toolbox*Toolbox*) are used and/or effectiveProduce taken from same source over period of 3 years

(last one was 2007 – 2009)Data from Member States analysed by EFSAResults did not show clear trendsProgramme extended (open-ended)Accompanied by a checklist to collect further informationInformation used to establish indicative values

Source: Food Drink Europe - Acrylamide Toolbox 2011

The main food categories in the Toolbox:

Potato-based productsPotato-based products

French fries Potato crisps and fabricated products

Cereal-based productsCereal-based products

Bread Crisp bread Breakfast cereals Biscuits

Coffee, roasted grain and chicoryCoffee, roasted grain and chicory

Roast and ground coffee Instant (soluble) coffee Coffee substitutes

Baby/infant foodsBaby/infant foods

Baby biscuits Infant cereals Baby foods other than cereal-based foods

From Farm to fork : From Farm to fork : Potato Based ProductsPotato Based Products

Case studyCase study

Farming

Selection of potato varieties with low reducing sugars that are suitable for the product type.

Minimising the risk of high reducing sugars by growing those low sugar varieties

Ensuring tubers are mature at time of harvesting (immature tubers tend to have higher reducing sugar levels).

Storage

Controlling storage conditions from farm to factory (e.g. temp. >6°C identified as good practice for long term storage

Storing crops within the recommended window for the specific variety

Manufacturing Calcium salts (e.g. Ca-lactate), when used at <0.3% in the dough, can be an effective reduction tool. The percentage decrease is highly dependent on the AA starting level of the product this tool is applied to. In potato-based pellet snacks ~1% addition of calcium chloride has given a ~20-80% reduction dependent on the product design. Too high levels of calcium salts can, however, generate off-flavours. Treatment of potato flakes with calcium salts during their production have demonstrated 30-40% reduction dependent on the product design and formulation. Too high levels can, however, generate undesirable product attributes.

Processing

Asparaginase may reduce AA in reconstituted doughbased products but off flavours can be created in some recipes

Thermal input controls Acrylamide formation in the finished product

Controlling moisture helps to manage cooking control

Blanching is a very effective tool to impact AA levels in French fries

Cont'd Disodium diphosphate after blanching reduces AA

content by reducing pH

Vacuum frying offers an alternate thermal input control system, however this technology is not widely available

For manufacturers that use high temperature flash frying, rapid cooling helps to reduce AA formation

In-line optical sorting can be an effective measure to remove dark products

Final Preparation: Consumer Guidance

Follow exactly the product specific cooking instructions on the packaging.

Cook at maximum 175°C, do not overcook

Cook to a golden yellow colour

When cooking small amounts, reduce the cooking time

Indicative values in foodstuff

Future issuesBreeding new potato varieties with lower reducing sugar content and/or

less cold sweetening effect.

Further optimise agricultural practices to minimise reducing sugars and Asn. The nitrogen fertiliser regime appears to influence the reducing sugar concentration of the potato tuber, i.e. increased reducing sugars (60–100%) upon lowering the field N-fertilisation.

At the likely levels of acrylamide intake from the diet, the key effects of

concern are genotoxicity and possible carcinogenic effects

Appropriate efforts to reduce acrylamide concentrations in food should continue

Keep identifying how to optimise processing, preparation and cooking regimes to reduce levels of acrylamide in food

References

CONFEDERATION OF THE FOOD AND DRINK INDUSTRIES OF THE EU. Food drink europe acrylamide toolbox 2011 (2011).

EUROPEAN FOOD SAFETY AUTHORITY, Results on acrylamide levels in food from monitoring years 2007-2009 and exposure assessment. efsa (2011).

EC (European Commission), Recommendation of 11 January 2011 on investigations into the levels of acrylamide in food (2011).

FAO/WHO (Food and Agricultural Organisation/World Health Organization). Summary and conclusions report of the seventy-second meeting of the JECFA (2010)

World Health Organization, Principles and methods for the risk assessment of chemicals in food. Environmental Health (2010)

FAO/WHO. International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS). (2011).

SPIVEY, A. A matter of degrees: advancing our understanding of acrylamide. Environmental Health Perspectives (2010).

Thank you for your time!Thank you for your time!