Acrylamide present status till June 2015

1. OMAR ALAJIL ( ‫أ‬.‫العجيل‬ ‫عمر‬ )
M.Sc Food Technology

2.  Brief information about acrylamide
 Discovery of acrylamide in foods
 HowAcrylamide is formed in Foods
 In which foods
 Acrylamide Health effects
 Regulation of acrylamide in Foods
 Research that need to be done
 How to lower dietary acrylamide
exposure
 Summary
 Bibliography

3. C3H5NO

4.  Acrylamide is a low molecular weight, highly
water soluble, organic compound.
 It is used inter alia as an industrial chemical
and in the production of polyacrylamides.

5.  Acrylamide is a chemical used primarily as a
building block in making polyacrylamide and
acrylamide copolymers.
 Polyacrylamide and acrylamide copolymers
are used in many industrial processes, such as
the production of paper, dyes, and plastics,
and in the treatment of drinking water and
wastewater, including sewage.

7. Process contaminant

8.  In 2002, Swedish studies showed that
relatively high levels of acrylamide are
formed during frying or baking of starch-
containing foods such as potatoes and cereal
products.
 Acrylamide is a potentially cancer causing
chemical.This finding is the first research
report of the presence of such elevated levels
of acrylamide in food after high temperature
cooking.

9.  The international scientific community, the
Food andAgriculture Organization of the
United Nations (FAO) and theWorld Health
Organization (WHO) took the findings
seriously.
 AWHO/FAO Infonet (www.acrylamide-
food.org/) was subsequently set up to
facilitate the international exchange of
relevant data and ongoing investigations as
well as ways to reduce acrylamide in foods.

11.  In April 2002 scientists in Sweden found
Acrylamide in starchy foods, such as potato
chips (potato crisps), French fries, and bread
that had been heated higher than 120 °C
(248 °F) (production of acrylamide in the
heating process was shown to be
temperature-dependent).
 It was not found in food that had been boiled
or in foods that were not heated.

12.  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 amino acids (mainly
one called asparagine) that are naturally present in
many foods. Acrylamide is also present in tobacco
smoke.

13. Acrylamide in food forms from sugars and an
amino acid that are naturally present in food;
it does not come from food packaging or the
environment.

14. Mechanism of
acrylamide formation

16.  Acrylamide has probably always been present
in cooked foods. However, acrylamide was
first detected in certain foods in April 2002.

18. What kinds of cooking lead to
acrylamide formation? In what foods?
High temperature
cooking, such as frying,
roasting, or baking, is
most likely to cause
acrylamide formation.
Boiling and steaming do
not typically form
acrylamide.
Acrylamide is found
mainly in foods made
from plants, such as
potato products, grain
products, or coffee.
Acrylamide does not
form, or forms at lower
levels, in dairy, meat, and
fish products.

19. Amount of Acrylamide in Foods (ppm)
19
Category European Data FDA Data
Breads 12-3200 <10-364
Crispbread <30-1670
Crackers and Biscuits <30-2000 26-504
Cereal <30-2300 52-266
Other Grains <30
Potato Chips 150-1280 117-2762
Other Salty Snacks 122-416 12-1168
French Fries 85-1104 20-1325
Other Potato Products <20-12400
OtherVeg and Fruit
Products 10-<50 <10-70

20. Amount of Acrylamide in Foods (ppm)
20
Category European Data FDA Data
Meats < 30-64 < 10-116
Candy and Dessert items < 20-110 < 10-909
Cookies 36-199
Coffee andTea 170-700 175-351
Other Nonalcoholic Beverages < 30
Alcoholic Beverages 30
Dairy Products 10-100 < 10-43
Baby Food and Formula 40-120 < 10-130
Dry Soup Mixes < 10-1184
Gravy and Seasonings 38-54

21.  Since acrylamide is present in a wide range of
everyday foods, this health concern applies to
all consumers but children are the most
exposed age group on a body weight basis.
 The most important food groups contributing
to acrylamide exposure are fried potato
products, coffee, biscuits, crackers, crisp
bread and soft bread.

22. 0
5
10
15
20
25
30
µg/day
Biscuit / Cookies
All Other Foods
Relative Exposure to Acrylamide in U.S. Food
French Fries &
Potatoes
Breads
Potato Chips
Cereal
Coffee
Cakes Dried
Foods Pop Corn
Salty Snacks
Chocolate Products
Nuts/Seeds/Butters
22

23. Generally, acrylamide is
more likely to accumulate
when cooking is done for
longer periods or at higher
temperatures.
Additional information on
acrylamide, diet, and food
storage and preparation
are available at:
www.fda.gov/Food/Foodb
orneIllnessContaminants/
ChemicalContaminants/uc
m151000.htm)

24.  Are acrylamide levels in organic foods
different from levels in other foods?
Since acrylamide is formed through cooking,
acrylamide levels in cooked organic foods
should be similar to levels in cooked non-
organic foods.

26.  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, larynx, esophagus, 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.

27.  Acrylamide is easily absorbed by the skin and
distributed throughout the organism; the
highest levels of acrylamide post-exposure are
found in the blood, non-exposed skin, kidneys,
liver, testes, and spleen.
 Animal studies show neurotoxic effects as well
as mutations in sperm.
 Acrylamide has also been found to have
neurotoxic effects in humans who have been
exposed.

28.  In the studies, however, not all acrylamide-containing
foods were included in estimating exposures.
 In addition, information in case-control studies about
exposures is often based on interviews (personal or
through questionnaires) with the case and control
subjects, and these groups may differ in the accuracy
of their recall about exposures.
 One factor that might influence recall accuracy in
cancer-related dietary studies is that diets are often
altered after receiving a diagnosis of cancer.

29.  The data from human studies were not
adequate for dose-response assessment.The
food authorities depends on data from
studies on experimental animals to establish
their reference points.
 Possible confounding effects include the fact
that humans have been cooking food for
hundreds of thousands of years, so that
results from animals may not be applicable.

30.  Although acrylamide has known toxic effects on the nervous
system and on fertility, a June 2002 report by the FAO/WHO
concluded the intake level required to observe neuropathy
(0.5 mg/kg body weight/day) was 500 times higher than the
average dietary intake of acrylamide (1 μg/kg body
weight/day).
 For effects on fertility, the level is 2,000 times higher than
the average intake.

32.  In 1994, the International Agency on Research of
Cancer (IARC) evaluated acrylamide as
"probably carcinogenic to humans" (Group 2A)
after taking into consideration its genotoxic
properties and evidence of carcinogenicity in
experimental animals.
 However, IARC also stated that the evidence
available was not adequate to establish the
carcinogenicity of acrylamide to humans.

33.  In February 2009, Health Canada announced that
they were assessing whether acrylamide, which
occurs naturally during the cooking of French fries,
potato chips, and other processed foods, is a hazard
to human health and whether any regulatory action
needs to be taken.
 In December 2009, after a positive reception from
the food industry, Health Canada invited comment
from the public on this proposal.

34.  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.
 FDA experts participated in the evaluation and
provided data from new research studies on
acrylamide risk.
 The European Chemical Agency added acrylamide to
the list of substances of very high concern in March
2010.

35.  In 2015 , Following a comprehensive review, EFSA has
published its scientific opinion on acrylamide in food.
 Experts from EFSA’s Panel on Contaminants in the
Food Chain (CONTAM) have reconfirmed previous
evaluations that acrylamide in food potentially
increases the risk of developing cancer for consumers
in all age groups.
 This conclusion has not changed since the draft
opinion was made available for an open public
consultation in July 2014

37.  Although studies in rodent
models suggest that acrylamide
is a potential carcinogen,
additional epidemiological
cohort studies are needed to
help determine any effects of
dietary acrylamide intake on
human cancer risk.
 It is also important to determine
how acrylamide is formed
during the cooking process and
whether acrylamide is present in
foods other than those already
tested.
 This information will enable
more accurate and
comprehensive estimates of
dietary exposure.
 Biospecimen collections in
cohort studies will provide an
opportunity to avoid the
limitations of interview-based
dietary assessments by
examining biomarkers of
exposure to acrylamide and its
metabolites in relation to the
subsequent risk of cancer.

39.  Is there anything in the cooking process that
can be changed to lower dietary acrylamide
exposure?
 Decreasing cooking time, blanching potatoes
before frying, and postdrying (drying in a hot
air oven after frying) have been shown to
decrease the acrylamide content of some
foods.

40.  To minimize the risk of acrylamide in food, FAO andWHO
advised that food should not be cooked excessively, i.e.
for too long or at too high temperature. However, all food
particularly meat and meat products should be cooked
thoroughly to destroy food borne pathogens.
 On the basis of information available on acrylamide, FAO
andWHO reconfirm that the general advice on healthy
eating remains valid and encourage consumers to eat
balanced and varied diet, to eat more fruits and
vegetables, and to moderate the consumption of fried and
fatty foods so as to reduce the intake of foods high in
acrylamide

41.  Acrylamide has widespread uses as an industrial chemical.
 Acrylamide is a carcinogenic substance that is formed in starchy food
products during hightemperature cooking, including frying, baking,
roasting and also industrial processing, at +120°C and 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 amino acids (mainly one called
asparagine) that are naturally present in many foods. Acrylamide is found
in products such as potato crisps, French fries, bread, biscuits and coffee.
 It was first detected in foods inApril 2002 although it is likely that it has
been present in food since cooking began.
 Acrylamide also has many nonfood industrial uses and is present in
tobacco smoke.

42.  Neurotoxicity, adverse effects on male reproduction, developmental
toxicity and carcinogenicity were identified as possible critical endpoints
for AA toxicity from experimental animal studies.The data from human
studies were inadequate for dose-response assessment.
 Risks to consumers have been discussed by many international bodies
(e.g. EFSA, FAO,WHO), EU committees and national authorities.
 In 2010, (JECFA) concluded that acrylamide is a human health concern,
and suggested additional long-term studies.
 In 2015 Experts from EFSA’s Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain
(CONTAM) have reconfirmed previous evaluations that acrylamide in
food potentially increases the risk of developing cancer for consumers in
all age groups.

43. “Foods should not be cooked
excessively...for too long or at too high
a temperature... However, all
food…should be cooked thoroughly to
destroy food borne pathogens.”
43
Is it possible to cook food without
forming at least some AA ?????